A Texas woman was arrested last week after she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend to death with a “prison shank,” in late December.
San Angelo police first spoke to Ebony Gasca after her boyfriend Jermaine Johnson was found suffering from multiple stab wounds . When police arrived at the scene on December 26, Johnson was “sitting in an upright position struggling to breathe,” at the end of a residential driveway.
He was subsequently taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries , according to KLST .
Gasca told detectives that she and Johnson got into an argument while they were driving to a Dollar General. The argument was initially verbal but escalated when Johnson allegedly hit Gasca in the face.
“The defendant in return struck the victim in his face with an open hand,” the court documents said of Gasca’s response, according to KLST.
Surveillance footage from the store shows the two arriving at the business but whether they argued was unclear from the video.
The two continued arguing at the store and on the way home, with Johnson allegedly taking Gasca’s phone out of her hands and refusing to return it. When the pair got out of the car, Gasca told detectives that she put a homemade “prison shank” in her pocket, KLST reported.
Gasca alleges that when she tried to get her phone back from her boyfriend he put her in a chokehold – at which point, she stabbed him twice, until he let go. She later told police that at one point Johnson hit her on the head with her phone – during an examination she had a lump on her head and her phone was damaged, according to KLST.
Neighbor Shevetra Mathis told investigators that she observed the altercation from inside her residence. Mathis filmed part of the argument, revealing that Johnson took off his clothing while yelling and being aggressive towards Gasca. The segment of the argument that Mathis filmed did show any physical violence between the two.
Mathis told detectives that she grabbed a knife and exited the residence when she saw Johnson put Gasca in a chokehold. The neighbor allegedly stabbed Johnson in the chest and left the scene without calling law enforcement, according to KLST.
Neither woman contacted the police but Gasca did make other phone calls, to a friend and to Johnson’s brother. Jaclyn Graves said that Gasca called and admitted to stabbing Johnson twice before leaving the scene. Gasca then arrived at Graves’ apartment and changed her clothing before Graves drove Gasca back to the scene.
Gasca also called Johnson’s brother six times before he called her back and she told him stabbed Johnson after a fight, KLST reported.
Detectives say there was no evidence of Gasca having any type of deep-tissue bruising or any abrasions that were visible to the naked eye. Johnson’s body, however, had several abrasions, gashes and stab wounds.
A warrant for Gasca’s arrest was issued on January 4 and she was booked on a murder charge on January 19. Her bond was set at $500,000.
