Woman Reporting Alleged Assault Ends up Charged with Assault

Newport police charged a 32-year-old Middletown woman with simple assault Tuesday morning after she allegedly punched a man in the face – and then called police claiming that she in fact was the one punched in the face.

But the welt on the face of the man she claimed to have assaulted her indicated to police that she was the aggressor.

Police said Tina Ann Sousa, 32, of 169 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, called police outside of a Broadway address at around 8:15 a.m. to report that she had been assaulted.

Police said Sousa showed signs of intoxication and told police that she knocked on the door of man’s apartment to ask for a cigarette. The man then punched her in the face, she said, though she showed no visible injuries.

Police went to the apartment and a man answered the door and police immediately noticed a welt on his face, indicating that he had been struck.

The man said he went to the door after hearing knocks and ultimately was punched by Sousa after he tried to close the door, telling her to leave.

Police said the man meant to call police but hadn’t gotten around to it by the time police arrived.

Sousa was later released with a court summons and is due to appear in court on Dec. 17.