Two arrested after fight at local restaurant

Yesterday at 1:34 p.m., St Augustine Police Officer Samuel Panilag and Corporal James Giammarinaro responded to a disturbance involving four people at the Subway on San Marco Avenue, according to a report obtained by Historic City News.

The victims, a 32-year-old white female who informed the officers that she was pregnant, and an 18-year-old white female met the officers and reported that they had been attacked in the parking lot by two patrons that were still inside the restaurant.

According to Officer Panilag’s report, he observed an injury to the 32-year-old victim’s mouth and blood coming from the injury.

The victims, who reside in Jacksonville, and another witness, who resides in St Augustine, identified 42-year-old Keith Michael Woodward and 39-year-old Dawna Jean Woodward as the persons who attacked them.

Keith Woodward told police that he and Dawna Woodward were leaving the restaurant when the incident occurred. According to Woodward, the victim’s vehicle was parked too close to his vehicle, so his wife could not get into the passenger side. His statement to police was that his wife asked her to close her door so that she could get into her car.

Keith Woodward says that the 32-year-old victim responded by cursing, being “rude”, pushing and grabbing his wife’s hair. He told police that he got in the middle of the scuffle to break up the fight; and, although he admitted that he may have pushed the victim, he denied punching her.

Dawna Woodward, who resides with Keith Woodward at 484 Lakeshore Drive in St Augustine, gave her explanation of the events to police. She says that she closed the open car door when the victim did not respond to her request. When she did, she says that the victim pushed her — she admitted to responding by punching the victim in the face and then fought her on the ground. Woodward says that during the fracas the victim bit her arm and pulled her hair.

In a written statement to the officers, the victim stated that she was buckling her two-year-old son into his car seat when Dawna Woodward yelled at her to close her door. The victim says she asked Woodward, “Can you please wait a minute”; at which point Keith Woodward began cursing, yelling at her, and calling her “fat”. The victim said she replied “I’m pregnant — of course I’m fat”.

According to the victim’s statement, Dawna Woodward approached the victim and slammed the victim’s car door closed. She reported that Woodward continued toward her in a threatening manner, so she pushed Woodward away — which is when Woodward struck her in the face.
The victim said Keith Woodward went behind her, pushed her, then punched her in the head and kicked her. The 18-year-old victim attempted to separate the fighting parties before the police arrived.

Keith Woodward and Dawna Woodward were each charged with one count of second-degree felony battery; Keith Woodward is also charged with misdemeanor battery. Both remain in custody at the St Johns County Detention Facility — Keith Woodward in lieu of $3,000 bond, Dawna Woodward in lieu of $1,000 bond.