A Portland woman is accused of pepper-spraying a 15-year-old girl and shooting at the girl’s mother after arriving at their home to have her nails done.
Markeisha Marshay Branch, 26, appeared Wednesday via Zoom in Clark County Superior Court on a warrant for first- and second-degree assault.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Sept. 24, Vancouver police responded to the area of Northeast 130th Avenue and Northeast 24th Circle for a report of a drive-by shooting. Dispatch relayed that the suspect vehicle was a Volkswagen Passat with Oregon license plates, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Police said they subsequently learned that Branch arrived at a residence in the 13000 block of Northeast 24th Circle to have her nails done by the victim, a 15-year-old girl. Branch sprayed the girl in the face with pepper spray when she came to the front door, the affidavit says.
The girl’s mother heard the commotion and said she saw her daughter in a physical altercation with a woman, later identified as Branch. The mother intervened and followed Branch into the street, according to the court document.
Branch reportedly retrieved a handgun from her vehicle and threatened to shoot the woman. A few seconds later, Branch fired one shot at the woman from about 20 feet away. The woman was not struck, and police found a single 9 mm casing at the scene, court records say.
Branch fled in her car, court records say.
The girl gave police text messages between her and Branch, as well as photos of Branch and her phone number. Police found that Branch is the registered owner of the Volkswagen seen fleeing the scene. Police used the phone number and vehicle registration to look up Branch’s address, according to the affidavit.
The court document does not include information about Branch’s arrest or state a possible motive for the alleged assault and shooting.
Judge Suzan Clark set Branch’s bail at $50,000; she will be arraigned Oct. 21, court records show.
