Meredith Lowell Cleveland heights, Ohio animal rights activist charged with attempted murder after stabbing church goer in fur coat in latest episode involving animal lover.
An Ohio animal rights activist previously arrested for trying to hire a hitman to kill an individual wearing fur is now accused of stabbing a woman inside a church — because she too was wearing a pelt coat, officials said.
Meredith Lowell, 35, was charged with attempted murder and assault in connection with the slashing Wednesday at Fairmount Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights, Cleveland.com reported.
Police said Lowell allegedly attacked a babysitter who was dropping off children at the church for choir practice.
The babysitter was waiting for the kids’ practice to begin when Lowell ‘suddenly appeared’ and assaulted her, a witness told WEWS.
Officers arrived to find the victim on the ground in a pool of blood, while another churchgoer restrained Lowell.
A yellow kitchen knife was recovered from the ground near the activist, authorities said.
The babysitter was brought to the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center with two stab wounds to her arm and one in the abdomen, Cleveland.com reported. The media outlet reported the victim’s injuries to be non life threatening.
In an ironic twist the victim was wearing fur boots – with WKYC-TV reporting that the fur on the woman’s boots being actually fake.
Lowell was booked at Cleveland Heights City Jail, where she’s awaiting her first court appearance.
Police said they believe Lowell was provoked by the victim’s fur coat, since she was previously arrested for attempting to hire a hitman in 2012 on Facebook to kill a random fur-wearer.
That episode involved Lowell exchanging messages with an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman, with the activist offering about $700 to $900 and jewelry in exchange for the murder of a person wearing fur.
The charges were dismissed a year later because it was ruled that Lowell was incompetent to stand trial, WEWS reported.
Of note, Tuesday’s attack follows Lowell being arrested in January 2019 and booked with felonious assault in University Heights, Ohio, records show. She was indicted on the charge on February 5. The case is still pending, according to Cuyahoga County court records.
Lowell remains held at the Cleveland Heights City Jail on $1 million bail as she awaits her first court appearance. Lowell faces up to life in prison on the attempted murder charge.
