Great-grandmother charged with sex crimes, now charged with assaulting victim | Crime

SALISBURY - A 72-year-old Rowan County woman who is already facing charges of sex crimes involving a 7-year-old boy, is now charged with assault with a deadly weapon, and intimidating or interfering with a witness.

Juanita Byars had been out of jail on bond, but was charged again by deputies after this incident.

According to the sheriff's report, Byars assaulted a witness in the sex crime case, in fact, deputies say she threatened to kill the alleged victim and his mother and threw a brick at them.

It happened on Airport Road in southern Rowan around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

She is in jail under a $20,000 secured bond.

Authorities charged Byars in early August with two counts of a sex offense, two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Investigators said the child had stayed with Byars overnight and came home very upset.  The child's mother then called 911.

When Byars was approached by deputies, they say she was intoxicated and denied doing anything wrong.

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