Carousel Assault At Columbia Mall Leads To Conviction

COLUMBIA, MD — A woman was convicted of assaulting the carousel owner at The Mall in Columbia last summer. She was accused of hair-pulling, throwing down and biting the owner, according to the Howard County State's Attorney's Office.

Ahleyah Marie Rockwell, 23, of the 8900 block of Skyrock Court, was convicted on two counts of second-degree assault after a two-day trial this week, court records show.

According to the state's attorney, Rockwell reached into the ticket booth at the carousel stand in the Columbia mall and took cash from the register. The alleged theft occurred before 4 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2017.

When the carousel owner confronted her, Rockwell allegedly grabbed the owner by the hair, threw her onto the ground and bit her hand.

One of the customers at the carousel watched the assault and captured it on camera, and the recording was played for jurors, the state's attorney reported.

Rockwell, who said she did not bite the carousel owner, testified that the carousel owner assaulted her and that she struggled in self-defense.

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"The defendant told you she was jumped by a 69-year-old woman for no reason; she did not tell you the truth," Assistant State's Attorney Natasha Blount said in a statement.

"What took place at the carousel on August 5 was outrageous; it was criminal," Blount said.

Rockwell also had a 2016 conviction for making a false statement to police, officials said.

Judge William V. Tucker ordered sentencing set for March 23.

Image via Shutterstock.