A Long Island woman has been found guilty of using dynamite when she was angry at her boyfriend, resulting in a terrible injury.
Thirty-five-year-old Keyonna Waddell was found guilty on Friday after an incident that happened after she and her boyfriend argued, the New York Post reported Sunday.
In an announcement on Friday, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said following a jury trial that Waddell was found guilty of assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the first degree after she threw an explosive device into her boyfriend’s bedroom and it blew off his hand.
When the incident happened on March 22, 2024, the victim and Waddell had been arguing at his apartment. He left and told her to leave and when he returned, she did not appear to be there and he went to bed:
He was awoken by a hissing sound and saw a flame on the floor of his bedroom. Upon getting up, he realized that an object resembling a stick of dynamite had been thrown into his bedroom. He attempted to extinguish the explosive device, which was unsuccessful. He then picked up the device, in an attempt to throw it outside.
Before he could get outside, however, the explosive detonated in his hand. He felt searing pain and realized that his hand was gone. He ran to the end of the driveway and observed Waddell fleeing the scene on foot. He was transported by the police to Nassau University Medical Center where the remainder of his hand and part of his arm was amputated. Waddell was arrested on March 23, 2024, following an investigation, which revealed that Waddell had threatened the victim with dynamite several times in the months leading up to the incident.
Waddell is facing up to 25 years behind bars as a result and is expected to be sentenced in late May, according to 12 On Your Side.
In his statement on the case, Tierney emphasized that “domestic violence can escalate to deadly levels, and this case is a sobering reminder of that reality. Thanks to the outstanding work of our prosecutors and the Suffolk County Police Department, a dangerous individual has been held accountable and will face a lengthy prison sentence for this horrific act.”
The U.S. Department of Justice defines domestic violence as a “pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” That form of abuse includes physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological. The agency noted that domestic violence can happen to anyone no matter their race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or sex.