Woman who claimed to be victim charged with abuse

A 35-year-old woman who called police last week to report that a woman she lives with in Saukville had verbally abused her is now the one charged with abuse.

During her Sunday, Dec. 7, call to police, Samantha M. Favel told an officer she pushed the 60-year-old woman down a flight of stairs because she was belittling her, according to a criminal complaint filed in Ozaukee County Circuit Court.

Favel is charged with two felonies — substantial battery with an increased penalty because the victim is considered elderly and battery to an elderly person under circumstances likely to cause great bodily harm.

According to the complaint, Favel called the Saukville Police Department to report she was the victim of verbal abuse, and after an officer gave her information to help her find a different place to live, she told him she was involved in an argument with the woman at 6:30 p.m. the previous day.

The argument, Favel said, began when Favel’s fiance and the woman were arguing in a bedroom of the Saukville house. Favel said she pulled the woman away from her fiance and out of the bedroom, then pushed her down a flight of four stairs, the complaint states.

The woman got up, then walked to a larger flight of stairs and yelled for her husband. Favel said the woman was “belittling” her, so she pushed her from behind down the entire flight of stairs, according to the complaint. 

Favel said the woman suffered a knee injury.

Investigator Eric Ramthun went to the house and was told by the woman that she was arguing with Favel’s fiance and wanted him to leave the house. She said Favel threatened to stab her, then pushed her down the small flight of stairs, the complaint states.

The woman said she was at the top of the larger flight of stairs yelling for her husband when Favel pushed her and she fell down the stairs, hitting her head on the front door and suffering a cut to her knee that required stitches, according to the complaint. 

The complaint does not indicate why Favel was living at the house or if she and the woman are related.

During a Dec. 8 court hearing, Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Adam Gerol set Favel’s bail at a $5,000 signature bond.