Racine woman beat man with cribbage board, prosecutors say

RACINE, Wis. - Janice Petri, 60, of Racine, faces multiple charges after prosecutors say she beat a 75-year-old man with a cribbage board.

The charges include physical abuse of an elder person, two counts of felony bail jumping and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.

According to a criminal complaint, Petri has a history of accusations of abuse and battery against this particular 75-year-old man. Prosecutors list four open cases involving the man, and the complaint notes police responded to the home on Forest Street 21 times in 90 days.

Prosecutors say Petri has a history of draining his bank account and using his money for drugs with her boyfriend.

On Sunday, Nov. 13, the victim told police he allowed Petri to come over, and they drank and played cribbage together, after which she slept in a chair in his room. He said the next morning, she woke up and asked him for money, getting "upset" when he didn't give her any. She then struck him with the cribbage board and her hands, breaking the board. The victim said he tried to defend himself, but the 75-year-old ended up on the floor, where Petri continued to hit him.

When investigators spoke with Petri, she said the victim asked her for sexual favors, "and she was trying to defend herself from the sexual advances."

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Petri's own boyfriend told investigators he questioned her accusations because he did not see any injuries to Petri, "yet he saw the condition (the victim) was in."