A Umatilla woman with a prior battery arrest is accused of shoving a man and trying to run him over with a vehicle during an argument Saturday night.
Almeda J. Bariteau, 61, of 19400 SE Highway 42 #28, was charged with simple domestic battery (second or subsequent offense) and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. Marion County Jail records show she was charged with simple domestic battery in November 2006, and in 2012 she was charged with tampering with a witness or victim.
The victim had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath as he told a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that he and Bariteau were arguing when she got into her 2005 Chevy Impala and accelerated towards him. He said he had to step out of the way to keep from being struck, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The victim showed where he was standing as the vehicle accelerated towards him. The officer observed several tire acceleration and stop marks in the yard that were consistent with the victim’s statement. There also was a small tree in the front yard that was damaged, where the victim said Bariteau had backed into it, the report said.
The victim said this is not the first incident of domestic violence and that she tried to run him over several years ago. He said he never reported it to law enforcement because he was afraid she’d be arrested. The victim also said Bariteau shoved him while they were walking down the road towards the incident location, according to the report.
An eyewitness reported seeing Bariteau and the victim walking westbound on SE 157th place. He said he saw Bariteau push the victim but did not see the victim push her, the report said.
Deputies responded to Bariteau’s home at Nelson’s Fish Camp. She also had a strong odor of alcohol on her breath as she denied all allegations made by the victim. When asked about the tire marks, she said the victim had used a water hose on her car, causing the ground to be wet, which led to her vehicle getting stuck in the sand, according to the report.
Barieau was placed under arrest. While on the way to jail, she spontaneously said she pushed the victim while walking down the roadway. She said the victim pushed her first, the report said.
Bariteau was released Sunday on her own recognizance and will appear in Marion County Court on June 15.