Wiseman increases to $25K bail for stabbing suspect

Worswick

Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman yesterday increased to $25,000 cash bail from the original $10,000 cash imposed on Cheryl Lynn Muna Worswick, the suspect in the stabbing of a cashier at a store across the Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio.

At a bail hearing, Wiseman increased the bail after finding that the 38-year-old Worswick has a prior criminal history having been convicted in 2002 for criminal mischief and disturbing the peace.

Wiseman also noted that the defendant has an outstanding bench warrant in a traffic case issued in June 2014.

Citing the seriousness of the allegations in this case and the prior criminal history, the judge said he finds that Worswick poses danger to the community.

Assistant attorney general Barbara Cepeda, counsel for the government, recommended to keep the $10,000 cash bail that the court had earlier imposed in issuing the arrest warrant.

Cepeda noted that a weapon was involved in this case and that they have witnesses and footage of a surveillance camera.

Assistant public defender Matthew Meyer was appointed as counsel for Worswick.

Preliminary hearing will be on Jan. 26 at 1:30pm.

The cashier, a 52-year-old Filipina, received 15 stitches to the right hand at the Commonwealth Health Center’s emergency room and was later released.

Police arrested Worswick on Monday in Koblerville on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.

Police detective Catherine B. Pangelinan stated in her report that on Sunday at 11:57am, a police officer responded to a reported robbery incident at Islander Mini Mart/Western Union located along Beach Road, San Antonio east of PIC.

The officer met the victim, who was in the Hibiscus Hair Salon located beside Islander Mini Mart. The officer failed to interview the victim at that time because she was in shock and was being treated by medics.

The officer observed the victim was shaking, her hair was messy, and has several bruises on the face and has three cuts on the right hand.

The officer later managed to interview the cashier at the Commonwealth Health Center.

Pangelinan said she and two other detectives also responded to the scene and met with two persons, who showed her the surveillance footage.

On the footage during the attack, Pangelinan said she identified the suspect as Worswick, who used to live at San Antonio beach side.

Pangelinan proceeded to the residence of Worswick’s mother in Koblerville. The mother identified the person on the surveillance footage as her daughter, who doesn’t live with her anymore.

Pangelinan said during her interview, the cashier described the suspect as a woman who is her regular customer at the store.

The victim described the suspect as wearing dark green raincoat and covered her head with the raincoat’s hood.

According to the victim, while she was behind the cashier counter doing transaction with a Western Union customer, the suspect came in and asked her what time it was.

As she was busy counting money and the suspect was just staring at the money, the cashier told her that the clock was behind her.

About five minutes later after the Western Union customer left, the suspect came inside the store and locked the front door.

The suspect turned around and showed the cashier a silver kitchen knife measuring about a foot.

The cashier immediately picked up the phone and dialed 911 for police assistance. While the phone was still ringing, the suspect, armed with the knife, immediately walked behind the cashier counter.

The cashier told the suspect to go ahead and take the money if she wants it.

When the suspect pointed the knife toward the cashier’s stomach, the victim struggled by holding the weapon.

During the struggle, the cashier suffered several cuts on the right hand.

The cashier fell to the floor and she felt several blows to her face and body.

The cashier managed to get up and ran toward the counter to escape, but the suspect pulled her back.

The two struggled again as the victim held the knife to avoid getting stabbed.

When the cashier managed to grab the knife, the suspect ran outside the store. The cashier sought help from the employees at Hibiscus Hair Salon.

Police said a crime scene investigator processed the scene, procured the knife, white cloth, and the raincoat belonging to Worswick.