Erie woman held in court on March attempted homicide with stabbing

Lina PortmanJune 6, 2024

23 1 minute read

An Erie woman testified Wednesday that another woman she knew repeatedly harassed her via text messages and challenged her to fight before she finally agreed in late March to “ to stop” or to come together to fight.

Cherakei Wells said she decided to meet Andrea K. Griffin-McCloud in an east Erie neighborhood to fight “and get it over with.” As soon as she got out of the car she arrived in, Wells said, she and Griffin-McCloud started fighting.

The fight continued for a few minutes, Wells said, adding that she thought she was winning, before her boyfriend broke it up. When it was over, Wells said she felt blood running down her face and realized she had been cut on her forehead.

Wells also suffered a stab wound near her right breast that punctured her lung and left her hospitalized for five days, according to her testimony and information released by Erie police. A day after the March 25 fight, police charged Griffin-McCloud with attempted homicide and other offenses related to the attack.

More:Erie woman facing attempted homicide allegedly stabbed during planned fight Monday

Erie 5th Ward District Judge Paul Bizzarro held Griffin-McCloud, 23, in court on all charges following Wednesday's preliminary hearing in Erie County Central Court. She remains free on $75,000 bail.

Wells, 27, testified during questioning by Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jeremy Lightner that she did not bring any weapons to the fight. She said she did not see a weapon on Griffin-McCloud, but Griffin-McCloud was hiding his hand in the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt before the fight began.

Wells said during cross-examination by Griffin-McCloud's attorney, Matthew Thomas, that she wasn't sure why Griffin-McCloud started threatening her out of nowhere, and she denied ever sending threatening messages at Griffin-McCloud.

Lina Portman

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