RIVERHEAD, NY - A woman in her thirties has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison for attacking her boyfriend with a stick of dynamite while he was sleeping.
Keyonna Waddell, 35, was found guilty of assault and criminal possession of a weapon on Friday, April 24, nearly two years after she and her boyfriend had an argument that ended in a literal explosion, Law & Crime reported. In a press release, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said that Waddell and the unnamed victim had a verbal altercation in his apartment on March 22, 2024.
After the boyfriend told Waddell to leave, both people left the apartment, and the victim came home and went to sleep. He thought he was alone in the home. However, while he was asleep, he was "awoken by a hissing sound" and saw fire in his bedroom.
When he went to the source of the flames, he discovered a lit stick of dynamite and immediately attempted to extinguish it. When he was unable to snuff out the fuse, he picked up the dynamite so he could throw it out the window. He did not move quickly enough, and the explosive detonated while it was still in his hand.
"He felt searing pain and realized that his hand was gone," Tierney said. The victim ran out to his driveway, where he saw Waddell fleeing on foot.
The victim underwent surgery to remove his mangled hand and part of his arm. Further investigation of the incident revealed that Waddell "had threatened the victim with dynamite several times" for months. She was arrested the day after the explosion.
Waddell faces up to 25 years in prison following the guilty verdict. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 27.
Keyonna Waddell, 35, was found guilty of assault and criminal possession of a weapon on Friday, April 24, nearly two years after she and her boyfriend had an argument that ended in a literal explosion, Law & Crime reported. In a press release, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said that Waddell and the unnamed victim had a verbal altercation in his apartment on March 22, 2024.
After the boyfriend told Waddell to leave, both people left the apartment, and the victim came home and went to sleep. He thought he was alone in the home. However, while he was asleep, he was "awoken by a hissing sound" and saw fire in his bedroom.
When he went to the source of the flames, he discovered a lit stick of dynamite and immediately attempted to extinguish it. When he was unable to snuff out the fuse, he picked up the dynamite so he could throw it out the window. He did not move quickly enough, and the explosive detonated while it was still in his hand.
"He felt searing pain and realized that his hand was gone," Tierney said. The victim ran out to his driveway, where he saw Waddell fleeing on foot.
The victim underwent surgery to remove his mangled hand and part of his arm. Further investigation of the incident revealed that Waddell "had threatened the victim with dynamite several times" for months. She was arrested the day after the explosion.
Waddell faces up to 25 years in prison following the guilty verdict. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 27.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments