LANCASTER – Around 3 p.m. on Dec. 25, 49-year-old Jacqueline Hughes was lying down at home watching television when she heard a commotion outside involving her husband.
“I heard him screaming like somebody was hitting him, so I jumped up to see what was going on,” said Hughes.
Hughes says she rushed outside and was confronted by a nearly six-foot tall, heavyset woman who was surrounded by a group of men.
“I didn’t know her at all, I had never seen her or laid eyes on her before,” Hughes said.
Still, the woman began to yell a string of expletives at Hughes before one of the men tripped Hughes down to the ground, Hughes said.
“I saw her pick up a big rock and hit me in the head with it… I was dazed like ‘oh my God!’” said Hughes. “There was blood running down my face and then I got hit again, and that’s all I remember.”
Hughes was rushed to the hospital and spent the next two days fighting for her life in a medically induced coma.
“I didn’t think she was going to make it to tell you the truth,” said Hughes’ common law husband, Tan Carter, 51. “It scared the hell out of me.”
Officials say the woman responsible for the vicious Christmas Day beating is 34-year-old Lancaster resident Lachelle Robinson.
“Lachelle Robinson is being charged with attempted murder,” said Lancaster Sheriff’s Station spokesman Michael Rust.
Robinson was arrested at her home around 5 p.m., Dec. 25, and jailed on $1 million bail.
“I personally can’t remember a time when we had an assault of this magnitude on Christmas Day,” said Rust. “It’s shocking to me… I just don’t understand it.”
The details behind why the incident took place are convoluted and difficult to understand, as well.
“It is Jerry Springer,” said Rust.
The drama stemmed from a love triangle turned violent between Hughes’ stepson, his current girlfriend and Robinson’s daughter.
Hughes’ stepson (who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation) says he was previously involved in a romantic relationship with Robinson’s daughter, Yomisha “Mimi” Jenkins, and the two have a young son together. Mimi was at the house with their son earlier that day when his new girlfriend, who is pregnant, came by the house with her sister to drop off Christmas gifts.
The stepson says Mimi, angered by his girlfriend’s pregnancy, attempted to pick a fight with her outside the house. He says his girlfriend’s sister came to her aid and fought Mimi in the street outside of the house, while their young son sat in the car.
“After the fight is over, the child’s mother (Mimi) leaves with the child and on her way home, she calls Mom (Robinson) to tell her what happened,” said Deputy Rust. “So Mom decided to take matters in her own hands and goes over with a bunch of guys to take revenge on the father of the child; he is not there so they seek revenge on the grandfather of the child.”
Hughes’ husband, Tan Carter, says he went outside as Robinson and about 10 men pulled up to the house. The men asked for his son, and when he told them his son was no longer at home, they began beating him in his back and head as he ran back into the house to call the police.
As Carter was calling the police, Hughes went outside, and that’s when the assault began.
“The suspect picks up a 20-pound rock the size of a bowling ball, raises it and smashes her (Hughes) in the head,” Rust said. “You can imagine, you’re lying on the ground and somebody takes a large boulder and smashes you in the forehead with it.”
Carter said by the time he came back outside, his wife was covered in blood.
“Her head’s pouring blood, her mouth’s pouring blood, she was not even breathing,” he said. “I thought she was dying at the time.”
Hughes was rushed to the hospital and placed in a medically induced coma for two days.
Today, Hughes is out of the hospital, but her recovery is far from over. She’s wearing a neck brace and a back brace, there’s a huge open wound on her forehead, her lip is split, her front teeth are knocked out, and she may be facing another surgery.
“I will be going through either therapy or surgery after this brace comes off,” she said. “The doctor said an inch more and I would have been paralyzed from the waist down.”
Robinson was charged Wednesday with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and mayhem. She has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and remains in jail on $1 million bail.
“I’d like to see her pay for what she did to me,” Hughes said. “I’m suffering and I will be suffering for a long time.”
James says
I love the responses to this.
THE ALL CAPS REPLY.
da replie dat makes no since since ppl cant spell smdh.
This isn’t facebook or AIM.. this is why the AV is a POS hole that it is now, because of people like YOU. Give them all guns and let them have at it, wake me up when the gunfire quiets down. Damn animals, thanks for ruining what could have been a nice and prosperous community. For once I see where Ace is coming from.. nothing can help.
Larry Evans says
The animalistic treatment continue to date (2012) in our communities, but the voilence no longer comes from the ex-slave master it is the voilent way we treat one another. Change should and must take place in our communities. The incident that took place on Christmas Day should have the same out cry from the community as if a child was shot in a random shooting. Many people look for Leadership to come throuhg their church and that could be because Martin Luther King Jr. was a baptist preacher. If it is true that leadership comes from our churches in the community they can’t or they are not consern with finding solution for the many problems that plague our communities. As a citizen in the Antelope Valley I like to propose to the community to ask the government to appoint a committee to stop the voilence in the community.
Abdul Majeed Askia says
Incidents like these are shocking and should motive the general community
the local leadership,churches,mosques and sysnagogues to address senseless
violence on a continual bases. We have to address the root cause, how
people are taught and encouraged to use violence as the ultimate solution
to anger,frustration and disappoitment !Get mad start swinging ! Feelings
hurt start swinging which actually leades to self destruction ! Many are
tuaght from the cradle that violence is the way to go,violence twentyfour
seven in music, entertainment and day to day conversations !Kill,beat,shot
stab is an attitude,a disposition !If we collectively address the mind set
we can make a difference !If all the self help or non profit organizations
and centers would reach-out to our youth we can make a difference.For many
the first re-action is to arm yourselves after witnessing such a tragedy,
thats understandable but it is not the ultimate solution,it does not solve
the problem ! Violence is alife style ! We all understand self defence and
protecting home front but we need to re-create the enviornment. All of us
should be moved to take a stand to make a difference. My heart goes out to
the parents, the mother and father and many others who have suffered such
tragidies. Abdul Askia@yahoo.com…Public speaker
Tawana says
This is so hurtful 4 me to know that such animals would do this to a human being and a best friend that ive been knowing for many years, they should have ALL been arrested, no heart 4 ur own brothers, and sisters on God’s earth, she got what she deserved and the key needs to b thrown away on her and her million dolla bond,they need to catch the others so no one else will b hurt, i will def. b prayin 4 them and their evil hearts, Jackie God brung u through and my prayers will b that u will heal, and a speedy recovery, God bless u and ur family!!!!
reginald Hughes says
i ask God to remove the anger from my heart..and i pray that he continue to heal my sister to peace and wholeness… i pray that he touch all of my family members hearts, so that are not held bondages to hate and anger.because of this evil person….i was telling a friend what happen to my sister…it turn out that she knew the girl mother,her mother is in prison for killing her cousin setting him on fire and throwing the body off a bridge…this woman gave birth to the woman who hit my sister with a twenthy pound stone kick her teeth out and ect..i pray that justic pervail. i love you jackie…your big brother….
KRISSY says
First off you shouldn’t defame people on nothing you don’t know about.I will pray for you and your family cause your sister was just as guilty and should also go to jail with everyone else while she’s playing victim
rose says
I WISH YOU ALL FULL RECOVERY JACKIE THANK GOD YOU ARE STILL WITH US. SMDH! I HOPE AND PRAY THAT LACHELL GET A SENTENCE TO LIFE IN PRISON! EVERYBODY ESLE INVOLVED SHOULD BE CHARGE THIS CRIME. BUNCH OF COWARDS. I HOPE DEPUTY RUST CHARGE THEM ALL. GOD BLESS YOU JACKIE. I BEEN KNOWING THIS FAMILY FOR OVER 14 YEARS. MY PRAYS ARE WITH YOU!
Kesha says
That is horrible. This devil lady and her daughter need a gang of men to beat up one person. They came there with premeditated intent to hospitalize or even kill someone. I think everyone should be arrested for being involved, they all knew they were going to hurt someone. I will be following this to the end she deserves the MAX sentence. We have to stop the violence!!! She can’t get off easy, we cant set an example that it’s okay to bully or call GANGS to solve problems!!!
KRISSY says
Everyone should be arrested including Jacqueline. Who are you to judge? Setting a good example would have not letting those young ladies fight before the mother even arrived thats setting an example. As a 49 year old woman she should have known better but I forgot she didn’t do nothing wrong she’s just as guilty.Come on now its Christmas and your going to allow violence in your presence when its the time to be giving and loving your neighbor. She was all for the young ladies fighting and her husband should have been against it also. Jacqueline know she was wrong and will have to answer to GOD.
Patricia says
A million dollar bail isn’t enough for a vengeful criminal with no empathy for a human let alone a elder lady like the victim. she deserves LIFE in STATE PRISON.I hope that the Jury does not empathize for such a evil woman like her. what if that would have happened to her mother?? wait she may be just like her mother!!!
KRISSY says
How do you past Judgement when you don’t even know the facts? Are you God? The first who has not sinned can throw the first stone. So be ready when God passes judgement on you!!!!
_______ says
“Jerry Springer” is right!!!!!!! lol!!!! OMG how sad!
James Stouvenel says
that was stupid, and of all things on Christmas, these people are nuts for what they did to her, all in the name of jealousy, dumb very dumb, i wish her well in her recovery.
JOYCE JONES says
people like that need jesus because you cannot go and hurt nobody like that she need to put away for life and she need to ask this women forgiveness and she need to learn to love one another the devil is a lieyer jacklyn in the name of jesus you will be heal and you will recovered from every hurt and pain belived in god jacklyn no weapon that is formed againist you shall prosper every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment thou shalt condemn in the name of jesus stay strong and belived in god have bless and properous new years
____ says
Praise jesus!!! Praise Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!
KRISSY says
Since your quoting bible verses than you should know wrath is GOD’S.How do you say no weapon formed against her shall prosper when in fact she came out swinging the weapon and thats how she got hit with the rock. As A BLACK WOMAN she should be able to be honest with herself and her family but God is the judge of all judges and has the last say.
Michelle Mason says
I was truly appalled to have heard and read about such a callous and cowardice act of this magnitude that took place on Christmas day. I pray for Jacqueline’s speedy recovery. I also pray for the woman, Lachelle who didn’t seem to think about the consequences before she hit Jacqueline and caused such severe injuries. I pray that each and everyone that was involved in the attack on this family will be caught and dealt with fully by the court of law.I pray for the daughter, Mimi too. I pray she has learned a valuable lesson about jealousy and envy. Hopefully she has learned that this was the wrong way to handle things and realize that her mother would not be in jail with a $1million bond on her head if she had not gotten upset about who her ex was with and the fact that she is pregnant. I pray that in the future she will not display such a violent behavior in front of her son, who didn’t need to see all that took place.
KRISSY says
Its funny how Jaqulene is playing victim but failed to tell you that she came out the house swinging a knife not to mention she condoned for the two young ladies to fight before the mother (Lachelle) even arrived.