Commentary

Woman Attacked with Pitchfork over Social Media Photo

A California woman has been arrested for attacking another woman with a pitchfork because of a photo she posted on an unnamed social media site, according to a report in the Vallejo Times Herald. 28-year-old Xanadu Cain, of Vallejo, CA, was arrested at 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday by police responding to reports of a fight, after she allegedly attempted to assault the unnamed victim with the agricultural implement as well as her automobile.

According to Vallejo Police Lt. Kenny Park, “The suspect had become enraged at the victim, who she knew, over a photo on an Internet site and poked her several times with a pitchfork. She was stopped by several bystanders, and then she got in a car and tried to run the victim over.” Fortunately the victim only received minor injuries and didn’t require hospitalization. Cain is being charged with assault with two deadly weapons.

With its clear potential for calculated embarrassment, it’s no surprise social media appears to be implicated in more violent crime, as injured parties seek retribution for public humiliation. Earlier this month I wrote about Chris Mass, a 23-year-old former star high school athlete who was shot and killed in Tyler, TX, during an argument between two other men about a flirtatious tweet to a woman.

In New York City, the NYPD gang unit has reported gangs using social media to taunt each other, for example by posting photos of themselves in front of each other’s residences and insulting comments boasting of violent crimes. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly noted: “Because of these individuals’ insatiable desire to brag about what they did, these investigators were able to draw a virtual map of their activities and bring them to justice.” In October of last year the NYPD expanded its gang unit to 300 detectives in response to an uptick in criminal activity which the police blame, at least in part, on social media.

5 comments about "Woman Attacked with Pitchfork over Social Media Photo".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. Jonathan Hutter from Northern Light Health, February 28, 2013 at 4:22 p.m.

    Not to make light of the second story, but the first one sounds like something out of Caddyshack, being poked with a pitchfork.

  2. Stan Valinski from Multi-Media Solutions Group, February 28, 2013 at 4:50 p.m.

    Caddyshack or if we go TV "American Horror Stories". File under "you can't make this s__t up"!

  3. Drew Van Lahr from Zenya, February 28, 2013 at 5:31 p.m.

    Chicago PD monitors social networks like Twitter too. Anything they can learn to prevent murders is good work!

  4. Matthew Munoz from Internet Brands, Inc., March 4, 2013 at 3:36 p.m.

    Since the use of pitchfork was just "allegedly attempted" and not an actual attack- this is hilarious. Its too bad there's not a picture of her chasing the other woman with pitchfork a follow up to the first picture.

  5. Stan Valinski from Multi-Media Solutions Group, March 4, 2013 at 3:41 p.m.

    So true Matt. Where are the great cartoonists when you need them?

Next story loading loading..