RACINE — What started as a demand for money led to felony charges against a 61-year-old Racine woman for allegedly beating a man with a cribbage board, according to a criminal complaint released earlier this week.
Janice M. Petri, 4218 Maryland Ave., was charged with a felony count of physical abuse of an elderly person, two felony counts of bail jumping and two misdemeanor counts of bail jumping.
Each of the felonies carries a maximum possible prison term of six years and a fine of $10,000. Petri, who remains in custody in the Racine County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond that was set Monday, is due back in court on Nov. 23 for a preliminary hearing.
The criminal complaint: Felony physical abuse of the elderly
Racine Police officers were dispatched to a city residence Sunday, where they spoke to a 75-year-old man, who stated that he and the defendant had been drinking alcohol and playing cribbage before she slept in a chair in his room.
The next morning, Petri allegedly woke up and asked the man for money. When he refused, she became upset and hit him with the cribbage board, her hands, a closed fist, and open-handed to his face and various parts of his body. At one point, the cribbage board broke, the complaint states.
During the alleged attack, the victim told police he tried to defend himself by slapping Petri in her face and pushing her away, but at some point, he ended up on the floor. At that time, she continued to hit him, he told police.
Police observed obvious visible head injuries, facial injuries and abrasions to the man’s arms and neck. The victim also told officers that Petri “has a history of draining (his) bank account and using his money for drugs with her boyfriend,” the complaint states.
Petri stated she had been assaulted by the man, and that he was asking her for sexual favors. She said the situation became physical because she was trying to defend herself. Police also spoke to the defendant’s boyfriend, who stated he saw the victim on the bed with visible injuries and questioned her accusations because he did not observe any visible marks on her face or body.
Court records show Petri has four pending cases in Racine County, including two for felony physical abuse of the same victim. Police in the criminal complaint noted they had been called to the same residence 24 times previously.
Police & Fire
Stay up to date with emergency, crime and police encounters. The Racine County Eye and Kenosha Lens is your source for local news that serves our diverse communities. Subscribe today and never miss a beat. Visit our Police & Fire section to read more.
Follow us on Facebook: Racine County Eye or Kenosha Lens, and Twitter to make sure you get the latest news.