Waynesboro woman charged in strangulation assault

The Waynesboro Police Department has arrested a city woman after she choked a teenage family member when an argument between the two turned violent Monday morning.

Janis Leigh Vicars, 35 years old, faces a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault & battery on a family member charge stemming from the incident.  On August 10 at approximately 9:10 AM, officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of Highland Ave for a report of a domestic disturbance.

When they arrived, they found a teenage boy who was breathing hard and had marks indicative of an assault on his neck and torso.  He told the officers that Vicars and he got in a fight after he tried to hide her prescription medication from her.  Vicars put him in a chokehold when he refused to divulge where he had hidden the pill bottle.  The victim, who has asthma, was able to get away from Vicars and asked another family member to call police.

The boy did not require medical attention.  Vicars is being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail.