The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office received a report last weekend of a woman in Groom Creek who allegedly assaulted a camper on horseback, seriously endangering the rider.
According to YCSO, deputies arrived on scene to detain the suspect, 62-year-old Alexandra Grace Ariston. She refused to cooperate or identify herself, claiming to be a sovereign citizen. Ariston resisted arrest, but with the help of an off-duty police officer on the scene, she was placed in the back of the deputy’s vehicle. An animal control officer was called to the scene to collect two cats that belonged to the suspect.
As the arrest proceeded, one deputy opened the back door to the patrol vehicle Ariston was in. She allegedly kicked him in the chest, during which time one cat ran away. When the Animal Control officer found the cat, it clawed him significantly, causing three long lacerations.
Ariston was booked on charges including disorderly conduct, assault, aggravated assault on law enforcement, resisting arrest, and failure to identify.