BROCKTON, MASS. (WHDH) - The 32-year-old Fall River woman charged with murdering another woman during a road rage encounter in Brockton sobbed at her arraignment Monday as her defense attorney argued she was acting in self-defense.
Jacqueline Mendes, 32, was arraigned in Brockton District Court on a murder charge, rocking back and forth with her hand over her mouth and crying in court. Prosecutors say Mendes stabbed 41-year-old Jennifer Landry of Brockton in the neck after a traffic altercation. Landry died of her wounds 24 hours later.
“There was a verbal exchange between the two of them that escalated into a physical tussling match between them … one witness describes punches being thrown,” prosecutor Richard Linehan said at the arraignment.
Brockton police allegedly found a red pocketknife at the scene and said witnesses told them Landry was bleeding profusely and screaming “Please help me” after the encounter. Linehan said Mendes drove to the police station 15 minutes later and described the fight.
“As she came in she said ‘I was in an altercation … I attacked a girl with a knife and I may have stabbed her,'” Linehan said.
But defense attorney Joseph Krowski Jr. said Landy was the one who initially attacked Mendes with a knife.
“The alleged victim got out of her car, obviously with ill intentions, armed with a knife, and ran at my client’s car,” Krowski Jr. told the court.
Police say they are still investigating video footage of the incident and speaking with a passenger in Mendes’ car.
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