Cape Girardeau police search for woman accused in assault

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — Authorities in Cape Girardeau are searching for a woman accused of severely injuring another woman during a violent altercation involving hot kitchen grease.

Officers reported around midnight on Sunday, June 8 to an apartment on the 400 block of South Spring Street in response to a report of a woman screaming in the area.

At the apartment complex they discovered a female victim suffering from multiple stab wounds, burns from hot grease, and other injuries. According to witnesses, the victim had been in a disagreement with Sanaa-Azzariya K. McAfee when the confrontation got worse. McAfee allegedly threw hot grease on the victim and stabbed her before fleeing the scene.

The victim had allowed McAfee to stay in her apartment for the past three weeks after McAfee’s home was damaged in the St. Louis tornado.

McAfee allegedly took the victim’s cell phone and car keys and fled in the victim’s 2017 blue Ford Escape.

The vehicle was last seen in Ferguson, Missouri.

Cape Girardeau Public Information Officer Bobby Newton said investigators are using multiple tools, including the Flock Safety camera system, to track the suspect.

“We’re using a lot of our investigative tools that we have available, such as the Flock camera system, in order to try and track that individual,” Newton said. “It’s nationwide, so once we enter the vehicle into that, it doesn’t matter where she pops up at we’ll get alerted.”

The victim was transported to a local hospital and is receiving treatment for her injuries, including stab wounds to her neck, and facial burns.

“The last I heard, she’s still being treated at a local hospital, but she appears to be able to come out of it,” Newton says.

When asked what could have provoked the situation, Newton tells me.

” We don’t know. It’s still under investigation,  the reasoning behind it. Officers are still following up with other witnesses and anybody else that may have been involved in this incident. Again, we do have the suspect identified and we are currently searching for her.”

Authorities are asking anyone with information on McAfee’s location to contact local law enforcement.