Eagan Police: Woman Slashes Another Woman’s Face with Butcher Knife

A Chaska woman is accused of cutting another woman’s face with a butcher knife after a holiday altercation got out of hand.

Arouna Mahachay, 30, was charged with felony assault in the case. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine for the second degree assault charge and up to 5 years in prison and a $6,000 fine for the third degree assault charge.

Eagan police officers arrived at an Eagan apartment unit on Dec. 21, 2013 on reports that a woman had assaulted another woman with a knife, according to the complaint. When officers arrived, the victim, identified as PS, had a towel over her face and a gash angled from the right side of her nose to the left. The cut looked to be “down to the bone.”

Police officers learned from PS and other witnesses that families had gathered at the apartment for a holiday party. Some family members were drinking alcohol, including PS. An argument started between Mahachay and PS. Mahachay “picked up a butcher knife and ‘sliced’ PS in the face,” according to the complaint.

Mahachay received the  Miranda warning and told police that she argued with her boyfriend. During the argument, her boyfriend began to punch her and PS pulled her hair. Mahachay said that she hit PS in the face with the knife because PS pulled her hair.

Family members did not tell police about an altercation between Mahachay and her boyfriend, according to the complaint. PS was transported to the hospital and Mahachay was arrested. A 12-inch butcher knife that appeared to have blood on the tip was photographed and place into evidence.