Woman to serve 2 years in prison for lye attack

By Glenn Smith

The Post and Courier

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Tijuana Thompson-Gist left home and moved out of state to get away from the woman who attacked her and her three youngest children with a bucket of lye three years ago. The memories of that day have been harder to escape.

Her daughter Orisha, who was 4 at the time, bears scars on her face from the corrosive liquid and wears glasses to cope with damaged eyesight. Thompson-Gist takes medicines to cope with fear, anxiety and depression. Every visit to Charleston puts her on edge. Through it all, she has waited patiently for justice to be done.

But when her attacker's day in court finally came Friday, it was Thompson-Gist who asked the judge for leniency, a show of mercy from one mother to another.

Thompson-Gist had learned that the suspect, 30-year-old Shawquana Renee Evans, was struggling to care for a seriously ill child. Evans' 10-month-old son was born with kidney failure and has been in and out of hospitals ever since.

In a letter to the court, Thompson-Gist said she didn't want to compound a tragic episode by taking a mother away from a sick child in need. Instead, she wanted to offer forgiveness.

Evans turned and offered a brief apology to Thompson-Gist. Her attorney, Eduardo Curry, told the judge she is truly sorry for the attack. He urged Circuit Judge Roger Young to place Evans on probation after she pleaded guilty to one count of inflicting great bodily injury and two counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

"Your honor, Ms. Evans embraces the fact that she did wrong," Curry said.

Young said Evans deserved the full 20 years in prison she faced for harming young Orisha, and she likely would have received it if not for Thompson-Gist's offer of mercy. He handed her a 10-year sentence but suspended all but two years, which she must serve in prison. He also sentenced her to three years probation upon her release.

"I don't want your sins to be visited upon your child, but I cannot give you straight probation for this," he told Evans.

The attack happened in the breezeway of a North Romney Street apartment on March 27, 2006. Thompson-Gist was taking her children to day care when Evans threw a bucket filled with a lye mixture at them, authorities said.

Thompson-Gist initially thought it was urine. She ran after Evans. Then she heard Orisha scream.

The mixture of lye and wax blistered Orisha's face, leaving her with second- and third-degree burns. Thompson-Gist and her 1-year-old son, Christian, also received minor burns, while her 2-year-old son was uninjured.

Assistant Solicitor Trip Riesen told the judge the attack stemmed from a feud of sorts. Evans' roommate was carrying on an affair with Thompson-Gist's estranged husband, he said.

Thompson-Gist said Evans apparently wanted her out of the way so the affair could continue.

Previous stories

Bail set at $105,000 in lye incident, published 04/06/06

Physical scars have healed, but haunting fears remain, published 01/13/07

Curry said Evans is not the same woman today. Married with two children, she regularly attends church and works at a Sunoco station. In fact, she showed up in court wearing her blue, red and yellow Sunoco smock. It was unclear whether she had just come from work or had hoped to leave court in time to make her shift. She stared blankly at the floor as sheriff's deputies led her away to await transport to prison.

"It just shows what you sow is what you reap," Thompson-Gist said as she left the courtroom from the other direction.

Thompson-Gist said she was torn by the day's events, hopeful for Evans' child but also feeling a sense of justice served. The past three years have been tough, and the fallout continues. She tries to find the words to explain to Orisha what happened and reassure her that the attack was not aimed at her. She hopes someday she will feel safe again.

"I'm just hoping now that me and my family can heal," she said.