Mar 19, 2019 2 min read

A couple is facing charges after allegedly fighting in a gas station parking lot in Washington while their 8-month-old baby was in the backseat of their car.

Lewis Eugene Mowery, 28, of 1252 Amity Ridge Road, Amity, and Cassandra Overly, 29, of 1293 ½ E. Maiden St., Washington, pulled into the Exxon parking lot at 326 Ridge Ave. about 12:40 a.m. March 11.

City police said they were dispatched to the scene for the report of a woman screaming for help. They found the couple in the vehicle, which smelled of alcohol, police said. They also saw chunks of Overly’s hair on her lap and blood on her nose, shirt and hand. Police said neither Overly nor Mowery would cooperate with them or tell them what happened.

On March 14, police reviewed the surveillance footage of the incident and saw Mowery park the vehicle about 12:15 a.m. Police said they saw Mowery drinking an alcoholic beverage while outside the vehicle.

Police said that according to the footage, Overly punched Mowery, who punched back. The fight escalated, with Mowery choking the woman multiple times and pushing her to the ground by her face multiple times. In return, police said Overly could be seen punching and kicking Mowery. Police said the couple also punched each other inside the vehicle, while their infant was in a car seat in the backseat.

At one point, police said, Mowery grabbed Overly by the hair and forced her head into his lap. According to the footage, Overly then allegedly struck Mowery in the face before he grabbed her by the hair and shook her head “violently,” police wrote in the complaint. Police said Mowery slammed Overly’s head off the car’s steering wheel.

Police charged Mowery with simple assault, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children, disorderly conduct and driving under suspension. Overly was charged with simple assault, endangering the welfare of children, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.