By Alana Bleimann
SACRAMENTO – In a Sacramento County Superior Court preliminary hearing Monday, Judge Helena Gweon found 62-year-old Carroll Jones should stand trial for—wait for it—assault with a deadly weapon, to wit, a toilet paper holder.
Deputy District Attorney Stirling Wilkins presented police officer witness Bryan Guarda who, on Feb. 22 of this year, was dispatched to the apartment of defendant Jones and one male roommate.
Although they had lived together for some time, it was never clear if the male roommate was listed as a tenant on the lease. The two individuals never had a sexual relationship and knew each other 
only as roommates.
At 1:36 a.m., Guarda arrived at the residence and was approached by the male roommate outside the front fence to the apartment building. The victim’s “whole entire upper body was covered in blood [and] blood was still dripping onto his upper body [as] he was holding the top of his head,” said the officer.
The victim was later transported to UC Davis Medical Center where Officer Guarda obtained the victim’s statement, which revealed that the victim went to the bathroom in order to take a shower, like on a normal day.
At this point, it was alleged that defendant Jones knocked on the bathroom door declaring that she needed to use the bathroom.
When the victim opened the bathroom door he found Jones holding a toilet paper holder, which she allegedly used to strike the victim “four to five times” before the victim lost consciousness on the floor.
When he regained consciousness, he was still being struck, he told the officer, adding that he was able to escape the attack, run into his room, and call 911.
At the UC Davis Medical Center, the victim complained of a head injury and pain in the left arm that was similar to what a broken arm would feel like.
Although the victim seemed to be telling the truth, Officer Guarda saw no signs of injury on the arm, noting, “There was no abnormal bending of the arm,” he testified, when cross-examined by Assistant Public Defender Hubert Chen.
DDA Wilkins submitted the victim’s hospital records which established significant injury, and explained, “Blood began squirting from his head to the wall behind his bed [when he tried to stand
up]…..required a total of eight stitches….substantial blood loss.”
At this point in the testimony, defendant Jones rolled her eyes as if to disagree.
Jones’ public defender requested a no-holding order from the court, as the defendant has no past criminal record, has some medical issues, is a retired therapist and is currently a minister in her community.
Judge Gweon eventually denied the motion due to the injuries that the victim suffered.
“I believe that the defendant is guilty and the victim did suffer great bodily injury due to loss of consciousness,” she stated.
The trial is set for December of this year with a trial readiness conference to precede it.
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