Diamond Reynolds, girlfriend of Philando Castile, charged in St. Paul assault

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Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of Philando Castile, has been charged for allegedly hitting a woman in the head with a hammer in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Reynolds was one of three women arrested Thursday in connection to the assault of a woman.

Reynolds has been charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and third-degree assault.

According to a criminal complaint, officers responded to a call of an assault in progress at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Jessamine Lane and Hazelwood Street on a report that several women "jumped" another woman.

The victim told police she was driving east on Magnolia Avenue East. When she stopped at a stop sign at Barclay Street, she noticed a white SUV made a U-turn and started following her. She then pulled into a parking lot on Jessamine Lane and got out of her car. That's when she heard someone yell at her and she saw Reynolds and Chnika Blair coming toward her.

Reynolds punched the 24-year-old victim in the head with a closed fist and Blair grabbed her hair. At one point, Reynolds hit the woman in the head with a hammer, causing her to fall to the ground. While the victim was on the ground, Reynolds continued to hit her in the head with a hammer, causing her to black out for a moment.

The victim told police, Reynolds then with the hammer hit the victim's car's windshield, breaking it. While the woman tried to get up, another vehicle pulled up and Dyamond Richardson got out and started spraying bear mace at the victim, who started to run away.

Reynolds, Richardson and Blair then left in two vehicles.

The victim identified the three women in a photo lineup.

The victim was treated for her injuries at Regions Hospital and was later released.

In an interview with police, Richardson said there was an ongoing fight between herself and the victim's friend. She said they were originally looking to fight the victim's friend.

Reynolds gained worldwide attention last July when she used Facebook Live to stream the aftermath of Castile's fatal shooting by a St. Anthony police officer in Falcon Heights. Officer Jeronimo has been charged with manslaughter in connection to the shooting - a case that's scheduled to go to trial in May.

In an interview with Fox 9 last November, Reynolds said she is convinced if she did not turn on her Facebook Live stream in the immediate moments after the shooting, there would be no charges against the officer.

YANEZ CASE UPDATE - Not guilty plea, trial set for May 30