A Columbia woman was stabbed in the head, face and hands in a domestic assault Monday morning, according to the Howard County Department of Police.
Natalyn Tart-Jones, 49, was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma, and was listed in serious but stable condition Monday.
Police charged Frederick Jones, 53, of an unknown address, with attempted murder and violating a restraining order.
A witness called the police at about 8:10 a.m., after hearing the incident outside the building where the victim lives, on the 8700 block of Hayshed Lane in Columbia.
Police soon found the suspect in his maroon Chevy Trailblazer in a hotel parking lot off Route 1 in Elkridge.
Howard County has the eighth-highest number of domestic violence incidents in Maryland, according to the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County. The center provided shelter to 171 women and children in 2005.
Domestic assaults often occur when a victim has a restraining order against a former partner, said Jodi Finkelstein, executive director of DVC.
“It?s ultimately about power and control. When a victim seeks assistance, it can raise the level of danger,” she said.
However, Finkelstein said victims should not be afraid to find help.
She said domestic abuse can be verbal, emotional or physically violent assaults.
Several murders involving Howard County residents were attributed to domestic violence in recent years, according to DVC.
In 2005, a 21-year-old Howard County native was killed by her boyfriend in her home outside Philadelphia.
In 2000, two young children werekilled by their estranged father.
In 1998, two women were killed by their abusive partners, who afterward killed themselves, said the DVC.
To report domestic abuse, call the DVC?s 24-hour hot line, 410-997-2272.
Domestic assaults
The Howard County Police Department in 2004:
» Responded to 2,703 domestic calls for service, or about 7.4 per day
» Filed 753 domestic assault cases
Source: Howard County Police Department
