PIERCE COUNTY, Washington — A Pierce County woman accused of throwing a cup of bleach into another woman’s eyes did so to avenge the prison sentence of her boyfriend, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
The attack happened in early May. The victim was allegedly followed as she went into a 7-Eleven and then attacked with a cup full of chlorine bleach.
Video of the incident is shaky, but close inspection reveals a scene in which a woman splashes a cup of liquid into another woman’s face.
Investigators said the victim was targeted because she had testified against her assailant’s boyfriend.
“It appears to be revenge for her testifying against her boyfriend, who was pimping out other girls,” Sheriff’s Office Det. Ed Troyer said.
Deara Lewis, 22, has been charged with the assault.
Her boyfriend, 22-year-old David Daniels, was convicted earlier this year of promoting prostitution, promoting the commercial sexual abuse of a minor and assault. He’s now serving a 19-year sentence at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton.
Lewis, who is now nearly eight months pregnant with Daniels’ child, according to court documents, has been charged with robbery, assault and tampering with a witness, after the victim in the attack picked her picture out of a photo lineup.
“When you attack a witness or somebody that was in court testifying against you, that doubles the problem, and we’re going after that person and make sure they’re held accountable,” Troyer said.
Lewis is still on the loose and wanted on a bench warrant.
KIRO 7 tried to track down the victim in the case, but those efforts have so far been unsuccessful. It isn’t clear how badly she was hurt by the bleach thrown in her eyes.
KIRO
