3 Suspects Attack Woman In Retaliation For Breaking Up Assault: Police

ABERDEEN, MD — Three suspects have been charged in connection to the robbery and assault of a woman last fall who had tried to stop their assault of another person.

The incident happened Aug. 27, 2025, around 1:07 p.m. in the area of Swan Street. Aberdeen police officers arrived at the scene to find a woman who had been injured. The investigation revealed that the woman had intervened when she saw three suspects assaulting another person earlier in the day near the MARC train station on East Bel Air Avenue. She told the group to stop and one of the suspects pulled out a pocketknife and threatened her. They then left the area, according to police.

But 10 minutes later while the victim was walking home, the same suspects waited for her along her route and approached her from behind. The suspects surrounded the victim and one of them began hitting her. During the assault, the victim was knocked to the ground and dragged along the pavement. While the victim was being assaulted, the other two suspects took the victim’s belongings, according to police.

Officers recovered some of the victim’s property nearby during the investigation. Detectives also pulled surveillance footage, gathered witness statements and used photo line-ups to identify the suspects as:

• Taneese Barksdale, 37, of Aberdeen

• Vaughnesha D. Watson, 35, of Aberdeen

• Deatra T. Reid, 29, of Aberdeen

All three suspects have been charged in connection to the incident. Charges in the case include armed robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, assault and theft.