A visit to the gym for a workout nearly turned deadly this month in Texas, when a jilted woman grabbed a weighted plate and hurled it at another woman’s head, Us Weekly has learned.
Fortunately for Aralyn Alexis Martinez, the woman she targeted survived the alleged attack, or she’d be looking at a possible murder charge — and a potential death sentence if found guilty.
Police said that the near-fatal attack went down on Wednesday, January 7, inside the 24-Hour Fitness location in Spring, Texas, which is located just 24 miles north of Houston.
Gym employees reportedly called police to report a physical altercation between two women. Cops arrived at the gym and discovered that “a female suspect assaulted the complainant inside the gym after recognizing the complainant as someone her partner was involved with.”
A statement from the Harris County Constable’s Office said that the alleged gym incident began as a simple verbal confrontation. But before long, the two women were fighting, and “the suspect threw a weighted plate toward the complainant’s head, attempting to cause injury.”
It was unclear how heavy the weighted plate actually was, and police did not distinguish if it was made of steel or cast iron. It was also unclear if the alleged victim was, in fact, struck with the weighted plate during the fight with Martinez, and Us Weekly‘s calls to investigators seeking additional information about the alleged attack were not returned.
The suspect was detained and identified as Aralyn Martinez, who resides in the neighboring town of Humble. Police did not provide the arrested woman’s age.
“Aralyn Martinez was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, charged with Aggravated Assault,” Constable Mark Herman said in a statement shared with Us Weekly. “Her bond was set at $1,000.00 out of the 488th District Court.”
The case remains under investigation, according to the statement. Deputies have not said whether additional charges could be filed against Martinez, or if surveillance footage from inside the gym will be used as evidence.
Us Weekly was unable to reach Martinez on Monday, January 12, for comment via phone or social media.
Police shared Martinez’s mugshot online as well as an image of her handcuffed during her arrest, and immediately, thirsty men began proclaiming her innocent and even started offering to post her bond on social media. One commenter said that he’d be willing to be her gym partner any day.
In Texas, those convicted of aggravated assault face up to 99 years to life in prison, depending on the degree, as well as fines up to $10,000.
The charge against Martinez indicates she caused the victim to sustain an injury. The charge against Martinez could be upgraded to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which, in Texas, goes well beyond knives and guns. It can include anything that is capable of causing death or serious injury when used in a particular manner, including baseball bats, brass knuckles, motor vehicles, and even a heavy object used to strike someone, like a weighted plate.
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