Woman charged in Round Lake Beach stabbing pleads not guilty
A 40-year-old Zion woman who authorities said stabbed her boyfriend in the arm with a box cutter in the Round Lake Beach Walmart parking lot last month pleaded not guilty to the charges against her on Friday.
Sharrita S. Wright, of the 2000 block of Hebron Avenue, appeared at a virtual arraignment hearing Friday morning from the Lake County jail.
Wright was charged with aggravated domestic battery, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated battery involving the use of a deadly weapon, and two counts each of aggravated battery to a peace officer and resisting arrest.
Lake County Judge Patricia Fix told Wright at the hearing that if she is convicted of aggravated domestic battery, she could face up to seven years in prison, four years of supervised release and 18 to 30 months of periodic imprisonment.
Authorities said Wright stabbed her boyfriend in the arm with a box cutter during an argument in the parking lot Aug. 4. The man was rushed to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with a deep wound that required extensive surgery, according to Round Lake Beach Deputy Chief Wayne Wilde.
Wilde said Wright appeared to suffer a seizure while being taken into police custody, and she was taken to a hospital. Once she was cleared to leave some hours later, officers escorted her to the police station and tried to place her in a holding cell, Wilde said.
Prosecutors said Friday that Wright scratched the officers and drew blood.
Gavin Robinson, Wright's public defender, requested that Fix reduce Wright's bail, which was originally set at $350,000. Robinson said Wright has no history of violent crime and suffers from lupus, seizures and mental illness. Robinson said those issues have been exacerbated while Wright has been in jail. He also said if she remains in jail, she will likely lose her public housing.
Robinson said Wright's boyfriend wrote a letter saying he does not wish to press charges.
Fix reduced Wright's bail $75,000, which means she would need to put up $7,500 to be released while her case is pending.
Wright is scheduled to be back before the court Sept. 10.