Woman charged for striking girl in head with beer bottle

POLSON — A 24-year-old St. Ignatius woman is in custody after allegedly striking a 12-year-old girl in the head with a beer bottle. Tiffany Old Person is facing felony charges of assault with a weapon, and is being held in Missoula County Jail on $25,000 bail.

The incident occurred on Saturday in the parking lot of the Grey Wolf Casino in Evaro.

Witnesses told police that Old Person initiated an unprovoked verbal altercation with the victim before striking her.

The 12-year-old went to St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula after sustaining a “deep laceration 1-2 inches long” above her eye.

According to police reports, Old Person denied assaulting the victim and said that she “may have accidentally struck her” with the bottle as she attempted to throw it away.

Old Person is set to appear before district court for a preliminary hearing on July 9.