Suspect’s Mom and Sister Arrested in Attack
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A mother and daughter from Jackson are both behind bars with a $75,000 bond each, after Jackson police say they used pepper spray on a woman as she held her young child. Mary Johnson, 46, and Candace Echols, 23, each face counts of aggravated assault and coercion of a witness. They made their first court appearance on the charges, Friday. They were arrested Thursday. Investigators say while inside a laundry mat in the 900-block of Hollywood Drive, late Thursday morning, the two women attacked and threatened the victim. Officers say the attack stemmed from the August 31st arrest of Anthony Echols. He is the father of the victim’s 11-month-old child and the son and brother of two women accused of attacking her. The victim told investigators during the attack, Johnson and Echols made statement that the attack was because Anthony Echols was in jail. The two women were arrested later that day at their Jackson home. Anthony Echols is currently in the Madison County Jail in lieu of $60,000 bond and a contempt of court hold for violating a no contact order issued by the Jackson City Court Judge. He has pending charges of aggravated assault and vandalism (domestic abuse) for a July 13 attack on the victim; aggravated assault, aggravated burglary and vandalism (domestic abuse) for an August 25 attack on the victim; as well as three counts of aggravated kidnapping for an August 31 incident where he forced his way into the woman’s home on Camelot Cv. while armed with a knife. Investigators say he struck her in the face with his hand. Their child was in the home at the time. As Jackson police were arriving on the scene, Echols cut himself on the chest and throat with the knife. Police transported him to the hospital and he was treated for superficial wounds. Due to his suicidal tendencies, he was evaluated by a mental health specialist who determined that he needed to go to Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar. He was released from the facility and transported back to Jackson to face charges on September 2. Mary Johnson, Anthony and Candace Echols are all scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. on September 15 in Jackson City Court
