Hamilton woman charged in attack at U.S. consulate
A 36-year-old Hamilton woman is facing numerous charges after a security guard at the U.S. consulate in downtown Toronto was slashed with a razor.
A Toronto police spokeswoman says officers responded Monday morning to a report of a woman yelling, screaming and being verbally aggressive.
Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu says a security guard was slashed on the neck and arm with a straight razor before the woman was brought under control.
The guard was treated in hospital and released.
Sidhu says Michelle Erstikaitis, who was formerly in the news because of an obsession with serial sex killer Paul Bernardo, is charged with attempted murder, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon for the purpose of committing an offence, and aggravated assault.
Erstikaitis’s troubled past has been well documented. She was in the news for writing Bernardo love letters and phoning Debbie Mahaffy, mother of Leslie, one of Bernardo’s young victims, and threatening her family. She was eventually convicted of making death threats. In 1999, she was convicted of arson, endangering life and breaching probation, after she set her Hamilton apartment on fire.
Sidhu says Erstikaitis, who is to appear for a bail hearing on July 26, is also being held on a Canada-wide warrant issued by the Correctional Service of Canada.
Police have said Erstikaitis has a history of assault-related convictions and was under a long-term supervision order.