WESTON—A Bradner woman has been indicted on felony assault and impaired-driving charges in connection with a June 3 incident in which she is accused of striking a pedestrian with her SUV and then driving into the front of a building on Main Street in Weston.
The Charges
A Wood County grand jury returned the indictment against Makayla Renee Beckford, 25, of Bradner, on July 1, according to a list of indictments published by the Sentinel-Tribune on July 16. She is charged with:
- Felonious assault, a second-degree felony
- Vandalism, a fifth-degree felony
- Two counts of operating a vehicle while under the influence (OVI), each a first-degree misdemeanor
What Is Alleged
According to the Sentinel-Tribune’s report, Beckford is accused of hitting another woman in the foot with a Ford Escape and then driving into the front of a building on Main Street. The newspaper reported her blood alcohol content at 0.206.
The report did not identify the building or business that was struck, and it did not describe the extent of the pedestrian’s injuries or the damage to the building. The Weston Common is not identifying the woman who was struck.
Court Status
An indictment is a formal accusation by a grand jury that there is enough evidence for a case to proceed to trial; it is not a finding of guilt. Beckford is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty in court. The Sentinel-Tribune report did not say whether she has entered a plea, and no further court dates were listed.
The Weston Common will follow the case and report on significant developments.
Beckford was one of 17 people named in the Sentinel-Tribune’s July 16 roundup of Wood County grand jury indictments.
Sources: Sentinel-Tribune, “Bradner woman indicted for assault”