Woman Stabs Herself, Crashes Car at Cemetery Same Day as Court Date

Mount Pleasant police say a woman who crashed into a tree at West Lawn Cemetery also suffered from a self-inflicted knife wound the same day she appeared in court on a felony stalking charge.

Judith Peterson, 55, of Racine was charged Friday in Racine County Circuit Court with a felony count of bail jumping. If convicted, she could face up to six years in jail and/or up to $10,000 in fines. 

Peterson was in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing stemming from misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, negligent handling of burning material, and making threatening phone calls along with a single charge of felony stalking. Court records indicate she entered a not guilty plea and was free on a $150 cash bond and a $5,000 signature bond.

According to the criminal complaint, on Thursday, a MPPD officer was exiting the police station when he happened upon a mini-van crashed into a tree at West Lawn cemetery. He called for rescue units when he saw the airbags deployed.

The officer approached the driver's side and attempted to get the woman's attention. She was later identified from her license as Peterson, the complaint reads. When the defendant wouldn't acknowledge the officer, he opened the driver's door to turn the vehicle off, and that's when he noticed the strong smell of intoxicants.

Eventually, police say Peterson answered the officer's questions, telling him she missed the curve on 90th Street. She also admitted that she had "a lot" to drink and that she also told the officer she had just been in court on a stalking charge and that he would "hear all about it soon."

The officer reports that he told responding squads that he'd located a shopping bag with empty liquor bottles in the vehicle and that Peterson had a self-inflicted knife wound to her neck.

Peterson has a preliminary hearing on the stalking charge on April 21. Court records had not been updated at the time of this post to reflect any new information on her bail jumping charge.