Man accused of dragging woman outside car

A Cape Girardeau man is accused of dragging a female victim by her arm outside the front passenger window of a car, and she was run over by the rear wheel of the vehicle.

Howard Stephen Thomas, 40, of Jackson was charged with second-degree assault, and his bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety. Cape Girardeau County sheriff’s deputies arrested Thomas on Sunday, and he was in the custody of Cape Girardeau police Monday.

Thomas is accused of punching the victim repeatedly in the head and face about 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the 700 block of North Sunset Boulevard, according to a probable-cause statement filed by Cape Girardeau police officer Eric Steiner.

The victim was dragged by the car after her arm was stuck in the front window, and a large part of the skin on her right leg was burned off, Steiner wrote.

Steiner also reported injuries to the victim’s knees, hands, head, legs and arms; many of the injuries were bleeding when he arrived.

The victim was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center, Steiner wrote. Several witnesses saw the incident, according to the statement.

Steiner urged a charge of first-degree assault, a class B felony, but first-degree assault requires the offender knowingly tried to cause serious injury. Assistant prosecuting attorney Angel Woodruff charged second-degree assault, a class C felony, stating the defendant recklessly caused serious physical injury to the victim.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

700 block of North Sunset Boulevard, Cape Girardeau, MO