JACKSON, Miss. - Federal officials said yesterday that a woman who rammed her car into an arena where President Bush had just given a speech had no intention of harming the president, and no federal charges are pending against her, but she could face state charges.
A friend said the woman, Betina Mixon, may have wanted to hurt herself.
Mixon, 29, of Horn Lake, had three children in her car when she crashed into a wall of the DeSoto County Civic Center on Saturday.
Bush had just spoken at a campaign rally for Haley Barbour, the Republican nominee for governor, and was in his limousine preparing to leave, a senior administration official said. The president left the arena less than five minutes later from an exit about 40 yards from the crash.
After interviewing Mixon, investigators determined she had no direction of interest toward the president whatsoever
Ann Roman, a Secret Service spokeswoman, told The Associated Press yesterday.
A federal investigation is ongoing, but there's no federal charges pending she said.
Roman said the woman could face state charges that include aggravated assault. Mixon was taken into the custody of the DeSoto County Sheriff's Department; a call to the department yesterday was not immediately returned.
Alicia Graves, 19, who said she had known Mixon for about 10 years, said her friend had gone through a lot the past few months.
With marriage her dad just dying and her brother sick and all that
I think she had a nervous breakdown
Graves said yesterday. Mixon, a nurse's aide and the mother of three sons, also had a hysterectomy and was having a lot of stomach problems
Graves said.
It had nothing to do with politics, Graves said. She's not even registered to vote.
Graves and federal officials said Mixon was trying to locate her mother-in-law, who was attending the rally.
The kids' grandma was there inside
and she said she wanted to get her kids somewhere safe
Graves said. I think she wanted to try to get her to get the kids so she could go and try to hurt herself.
17
Archives
