A Rock Hill man has been charged after assaulting his mother with a Chia Pet plant and spitting in her face, the York County Sheriff’s Office said.
Police charged 22-year-old Justin Tyler Russell of Forest Road with third-degree assault and battery. He was held at the York County detention center on $1,652 bond.
According to the sheriff’s report, officers met the mother Monday afternoon at a Saluda Road home where she said she went because she was afraid of Russell.
According to Russell’s mother, she had been at their Forest Road home getting some things to bake a cake when Russell entered the kitchen and started yelling, police said. Russell then threw a potted Chia Pet plant at the mother before tearing a flour bag and spilling it onto the floor, according to the police report.
When deputies arrived at the home with the mother, Russell was not there. Broken parts of the Chia Pet were found on the floor and in the trash can, the report shows.
The mother also told police Russell spit in her face two times on Sunday. She had swelling and bruising on her right elbow where she was hit with the plant.
