Mercury News, (San Jose, California) 21 August 11 by Jason Green
A San Carlos woman charged with fatally stabbing her boyfriend's pet lizard and later trying to wrestle away a deputy's gun possibly suffered a mental breakdown triggered by years of domestic violence, her attorney said Friday.
Shawna Kim Apour, 37, pleaded not guilty Friday to a felony count of animal cruelty for the slaying of Speedy, her boyfriend's bearded dragon, as well as other charges related to the Aug. 13 incident and the run-in Tuesday with the deputy. "I think this person was put under tremendous emotional and psychological strain," said defense attorney Chuck B. Smith, alleging that she was abused by her boyfriend over a period of "several years." Pointing to his client's otherwise trouble-free record, Smith said he asked a judge Friday to lower Apour's bail from $200,000 to $25,000.
The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office countered with a request to hike her bail by $50,000 to reflect the fact Speedy had died between the time Apour was charged with animal cruelty and Friday's hearing, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. "It is now a more serious case," he said. The judge kept the bail at $200,000, Wagstaffe said. Apour is next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 31.
The events of the case were touched off about 3:40 a.m. Aug. 13 when Apour got up from watching a movie with her boyfriend and retrieved a knife, Wagstaffe said. She then went into a room where her boyfriend keeps his pet lizards and closed the door. When he heard the top of a terrarium open, he asked Apour through the door what she was doing and she replied, "Nothing. Don't worry about it," Wagstaffe said.
After she walked out of the room, the boyfriend saw blood on the inside of the terrarium. Fourteen-year-old Speedy had been stabbed deeply in the shoulder, Wagstaffe said. Apour left the home in the 1000 block of Crestview Drive, the knife still in her hand, and slashed the 1958 show Buick belonging to her boyfriend's brother, Wagstaffe said. She then pierced the tires of two nearby cars and carved "hate crime" into the hood of one, he said.
Sheriff's deputies who arrived at the scene ordered Apour to drop the knife but she waved it at them, Wagstaffe said. They used a Taser to take her into custody. Apour was charged with felony domestic violence, animal cruelty and vandalism, as well as misdemeanors for brandishing a weapon and resisting arrest. She was released on $25,000 bail the same day. A few days later, a railroad employee called authorities to report a woman, Apour, walking on the tracks near the San Carlos Caltrain station. Her mother was also nearby and had called 911.
When sheriff's Deputy Bridget Hensley tried to lead Apour away from the tracks, she went for the deputy's gun and Taser, Wagstaffe said. Hensley held her off until backup arrived to arrest her on suspicion of obstructing and trying to disarm an officer, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor resisting arrest and trespassing.
A San Carlos woman charged with fatally stabbing her boyfriend's pet lizard and later trying to wrestle away a deputy's gun possibly suffered a mental breakdown triggered by years of domestic violence, her attorney said Friday.
Shawna Kim Apour, 37, pleaded not guilty Friday to a felony count of animal cruelty for the slaying of Speedy, her boyfriend's bearded dragon, as well as other charges related to the Aug. 13 incident and the run-in Tuesday with the deputy. "I think this person was put under tremendous emotional and psychological strain," said defense attorney Chuck B. Smith, alleging that she was abused by her boyfriend over a period of "several years." Pointing to his client's otherwise trouble-free record, Smith said he asked a judge Friday to lower Apour's bail from $200,000 to $25,000.
The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office countered with a request to hike her bail by $50,000 to reflect the fact Speedy had died between the time Apour was charged with animal cruelty and Friday's hearing, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said. "It is now a more serious case," he said. The judge kept the bail at $200,000, Wagstaffe said. Apour is next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 31.
The events of the case were touched off about 3:40 a.m. Aug. 13 when Apour got up from watching a movie with her boyfriend and retrieved a knife, Wagstaffe said. She then went into a room where her boyfriend keeps his pet lizards and closed the door. When he heard the top of a terrarium open, he asked Apour through the door what she was doing and she replied, "Nothing. Don't worry about it," Wagstaffe said.
After she walked out of the room, the boyfriend saw blood on the inside of the terrarium. Fourteen-year-old Speedy had been stabbed deeply in the shoulder, Wagstaffe said. Apour left the home in the 1000 block of Crestview Drive, the knife still in her hand, and slashed the 1958 show Buick belonging to her boyfriend's brother, Wagstaffe said. She then pierced the tires of two nearby cars and carved "hate crime" into the hood of one, he said.
Sheriff's deputies who arrived at the scene ordered Apour to drop the knife but she waved it at them, Wagstaffe said. They used a Taser to take her into custody. Apour was charged with felony domestic violence, animal cruelty and vandalism, as well as misdemeanors for brandishing a weapon and resisting arrest. She was released on $25,000 bail the same day. A few days later, a railroad employee called authorities to report a woman, Apour, walking on the tracks near the San Carlos Caltrain station. Her mother was also nearby and had called 911.
When sheriff's Deputy Bridget Hensley tried to lead Apour away from the tracks, she went for the deputy's gun and Taser, Wagstaffe said. Hensley held her off until backup arrived to arrest her on suspicion of obstructing and trying to disarm an officer, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor resisting arrest and trespassing.
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