Jacqueline Mendes in court Monday. (WBZ-TV)
BROCKTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A Fall River woman is charged with murder after a road rage incident that left another woman dead last week.
Jacqueline Mendes, 32, pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder in the death of Jennifer Landry, pictured in the tweet below. Mendes was ordered held without bail.
Landry's family was very emotional in court Monday, three days after Mendes allegedly used a pocket knife to slash Landry’s throat at Belmont and Grafton Streets.
Mendes turned herself into police approximately 10 minutes following the incident, saying "there was an accident on Belmont Street. Some girl tried to stab me and I think I stabbed her by accident."
Witness accounts detailed in court documents said that Mendes and Landry were yelling at each other. One witness said that Landry was first to exit her car and approach Mendes; they told police things escalated after Mendes left her vehicle and the two women started swinging at each other with closed fists.
The witness said that Mendes shouted "I got something for you" and then went back to reach into her car. Mendes then allegedly approached Landry right before Landry started bleeding from the neck.
Mende's attorney said this account was not the case.
“Armed with a knife, [Mendes] saw Miss Landry raise her hand. It was a single, defensive stabbing motion,” Mendes’ attorney said at the arraignment on Monday. “This is an imperfect self-defense murder.”
Mendes was initially charged with assault and battery with intent to murder following the incident, but that charge changed to murder after Landry died from her injuries at a hospital.
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WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports