Judge sentences Cape woman who assaulted man charged with leaving infant home alone

A 30-day jail sentence was handed down Thursday for a woman who admitted to attacking a man charged with leaving his infant daughter home alone for nearly a day.

Tiffany N. Wilkins, 25, of 824 Good Hope St., pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault for the May 4 attack, and Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp sentenced her to 30 days in jail.

She was accused of using a knife to attack Richard B. Stemmerick, 37, around 11:45 p.m. in the 400 block of Bellevue Street, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case.

Wilkins attacked Stemmerick after reading in the newspaper he was charged with endangering the welfare of a child for leaving his 2-year-old daughter home alone. The two were acquaintances.

Stemmerick, of 509 Bellevue St., required stitches after being slashed under his chin and on his right arm, the statement said.

When he was arrested April 13 on an out-of-state warrant for a traffic violation, he failed to tell the arresting trooper that his daughter was by herself at the time.

The girl was found by a family member 18 hours after Stemmerick's arrest. She was in her crib and had no food or water.

In exchange for Wilkins' guilty plea, prosecutors dropped a felony unlawful use of a weapon charge and reduced a felony assault charge to the misdemeanor.

Wilkins has been incarcerated since her arrest May 5 and will receive credit for time served toward the 30-day sentence, Kamp said.

Stemmerick was scheduled to appear before Kamp June 5 for a status hearing.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127