Woman beaten in school parking lot
2/2/2007The 64-year-old grandmother was berated, dragged out of her car, and beaten by a South Toledo couple who thought she was cutting in line in the parking lot, police said.
"I think it's just a matter of some road rage," Detective Kermit Quinn said. "I guess the suspects just snapped."
Edward and Kristina Calvin of 708 Walbridge Ave. were booked into the Lucas County jail and released after posting $15,000 bonds. Both were charged with felonious assault and were arraigned yesterday in Toledo Municipal Court. They declined requests for an interview.
Ms. Duerson of South Toledo was treated at University Medical Center after the attack Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of Glendale-Feil-bach Elementary School, 2317 Cass Rd. She could not be reached for comment.
Ms. Duerson went to the school to pick up her granddaughter, and the Calvins were waiting to pick up their child. Upon arriving in the parking lot, there was a long line of vehicles waiting to pick up children.
When Ms. Duerson tried to cut between two vehicles to get to the parking lot, police said, the Calvins got out of their van, according to police. They approached Ms. Duerson's car and began screaming at her.
Mr. Calvin, 34, went back to his van while his wife stood in front of Ms. Duerson's car, screaming and beating on the hood. Ms. Duerson tried to get away by driving off. Mr. Calvin ran to her car, opened the door, and he and his wife grabbed Ms. Duerson and dragged her from the car, police said.
Mrs. Calvin, 31, is accused of hitting Ms. Duerson, knocking her down, getting on top of her, and punching her several times.
A witness told police: "Those people snatched that lady out of the car and got her down in the snow and the lady got on top of her and just beat her and beat her and I think the husband may have hit her too."
The school's principal told police Ms. Duerson came into the building covered in snow. She had bumps and bruises on her head and face, police said.
Ms. Duerson told police she got in between the vehicles to try to find a more suitable parking space. She got out of her car to indicate where she was going when the Calvins approached her, Detective Quinn said.
The investigator said Ms. Duerson tried to get away and Mrs. Calvin stood in front of her car. She tried to pull over and the Calvins accused her of pushing her car into Mrs. Calvin. Once Ms. Duerson found a parking spot, Mr. Calvin pulled her out of her car, the detective said.
"I don't think [Ms. Duerson] provoked this in any way," he said, but added he is still interviewing witnesses.
Children were likely in the area when the assault occurred because it was dismissal time, Detective Quinn said.
"It's sad all the way around," he said. "It's sad people would allow something inside them to go off without any rationale or thinking of the consequences."
John Foley, interim superintendent for Toledo Public Schools, said a counselor was available to students yesterday.
"We've certainly had incidents in which parents have not shown good model behavior in our parking lots," he said, adding that the district will "follow any legal action we can to protect our buildings and our students."
Contact Christina Hall at:
chall@theblade.com
or 419-724-6007.