AMERICAN FORK, Utah, May 2, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Springville woman accused of assaulting two other women in an American Fork bar was booked into the Utah County jail on Friday.
Jennifer Lee Mooney, 46, faces charges of:
- Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
- Assault, a class B misdemeanor
According to a probable cause statement filed by an officer of the American Fork Police Department, Mooney was in the bar at 12:40 a.m., seated at a table with two other women, when the women got up to go to the restroom.
Mooney moved to sit at a table with her boyfriend and another woman, the statement says.
“After some time, Jennifer and the other woman got up from their table and went to the women’s restroom where the two victims were,” the police statement says. “In security footage obtained from the bar Jennifer can be seen carrying a glass stein in her right hand as she went towards the back of the building.
“According to witness statements, once inside the women’s restroom area Jennifer took the glass stein and struck one victim in the face with the glass. Jennifer then turned and faced the second victim. Jennifer paused for a moment and then struck the second victim in the face with the same stein.”
Security footage from outside the bathroom captured audio of yelling, and another voice saying “No!” multiple times.
“A friend of Jennifer’s is seen running out of the area of the bathroom and asking, ‘where is she?’ After striking the victims, Jennifer exited the women’s restroom and left the bar via the backdoor according to witnesses.”
Police responded to the bar, and were given surveillance footage and descriptions of what Mooney looked like and was wearing. A female friend of Mooney told police Mooney had struck the two women, the statement says.
“The injuries to the first female that was struck with the glass stein were quite severe,” the police statement says. “The victim had to be taken to the emergency room following the altercation. Following the initial emergency room visit the first victim had to undergo surgery on the left side of her face. The impact of the stein on the victim’s left side of the face caused multiple fractures to the left orbital bone as well as to the nose. During the surgery the victim had to have metal plates and screws inserted underneath the skin.”
The victim later told police that since the incident, she has suffered neck pain and blurred vision.
“It is unknown if the impairment to her eye will be permanent,” the police statement says.
The second woman also sustained facial injuries as a result of the assault, the statement says.
“The second victim suffered a small laceration to the left eye just above the socket but below the eyebrow. The second victim also suffered fractures to the nose. It is unknown at this time if the second victim will require any type of surgery because of the assault.”
Later the same day, Mooney agreed to meet officers at the Springville Police Department regarding the case.
“Jennifer agreed to answer questions about the night, post-Miranda,” the filing officer wrote.
“Jennifer told me that she remembered going to the bar in American Fork with her boyfriend and other friend. Jennifer told me that she had been talking to two young ladies and that the girls were ‘talking bad’ about Jennifer’s boyfriend. The two parties separated, and Jennifer stated that she knew the girls were in the women’s restroom.
“Jennifer told me that she had to go to the restroom but had a feeling she would need to defend herself, so she grabbed a glass stein. Once in the bathroom Jennifer stated that one of the girls punched her in the face. Jennifer stated the rest was a blur but that she tried to defend herself.
“Jennifer stated that she only remembered pushing the girls back in an effort to defend herself. Later, while Jennifer was in the back of my patrol car with my in-car camera recording, she stated that she didn’t remember ‘hitting them that hard.'”
The officer conducted a criminal background check on Mooney, and found felony theft convictions, multiple drug convictions, and multiple charges related to providing false information to a peace officer, the statement says.
Mooney is being held without bail.
