ANTIGONISH: An Antigonish resident is facing an attempted murder charge after police said she used a vehicle she was driving to ram another vehicle.
Raylene Dewan, 60, of Antigonish, has been charged with attempted murder; assault with a weapon; two counts of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm; uttering threats to property; resisting arrest; dangerous operation of a conveyance; impaired operation of a conveyance; refusal of a blood demand; flight from police; and mischief over $5,000.
According to an RCMP press release issued today, police responded to a report of a woman “ramming her car repeatedly into a man’s car” on Cloverville Road in Antigonish at around 6:35 a.m. on March 9.
“The victim, a 55-year-old man, got into a second vehicle in an effort to leave the area, and the woman began ramming the vehicle he was driving,” the press release stated. “Police learned that before this, the woman had been ramming her vehicle into the man’s truck parked at a home.”
The RCMP said the responding officers located the woman’s vehicle leaving the scene on Cloverville Road, and attempted a traffic stop, “however the woman refused to stop and fled.”
“The RCMP members that responded observed the vehicle driving away from the scene and travelling away from the members,” Cpl. Chris Marshall wrote via email. “The members caught up to the vehicle, engaged their emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to get the vehicle to pull over, however it refused. The woman didn’t get past the members; she simply continued driving away from members until her vehicle became immobilized.”
No one was injured during these incidents, the RCMP noted.
“A short time later, her vehicle became immobilized due to the damage to it,” according to the press release. “Officers attempted to arrest the woman, but she refused to unlock her vehicle doors. Officers then broke one of the vehicle’s windows and removed the woman from the vehicle. The woman continued to resist arrest but was safely arrested a short time later.”
As they continued to investigate, the RCMP said officers “determined the woman may be under the influence of drugs,” and after police demanded she provide a blood sample for analysis, the woman refused.
“The woman was displaying signs of impairment when officers finally spoke with her after removing her from the vehicle,” Marshall noted.
The RCMP also learned that prior to ramming the victim’s vehicle; the woman assaulted an 82-year-old man, a family member of the victim.
“Police learned of the assault to the 82-year-old man when the victim identified to police that he had been assaulted by the accused,” noted Marshall.
Dewan was remanded into custody and appeared in Antigonish Provincial Court on March 10, where she was released on strict conditions, the RCMP said, adding that Dewan is scheduled to return to Antigonish Provincial Court on April 6.