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Woman accused of throwing hot grease on neighbors faces several charges

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police have arrested a woman who is accused of throwing hot grease on her neighbors.

Police said 33-year-old Regina Terry was arrested overnight in Richmond County in connection with the incident. She's facing several charges, including assault with a deadly weapon.

Her first court appearance is Tuesday.

Police said she threw hot grease on a group of her neighbors, including several children, on Polk Street on Sunday. The youngest victim is 2 years old, officials said.

Family members of the victims were not available Monday afternoon but neighbors who heard and saw the attack on Sunday were still trying to understand why it happened.

Neighbors who heard or saw what happened said the incident started as an argument that escalated. They said they suddenly heard screams and someone yelling about hot grease.

"They were arguing amongst each other and then you heard kids screaming," said Toyea Jordan who lives in the same small apartment complex in the Greenville neighborhood.

"To openly throw something and you don't know who's in there...who does that?  I mean I've just been upset all night, praying that the family's OK," Jordan said.

Renee Boyd, who also lives nearby, said the attack does not make sense.

"If you have a problem with a person you talk to that person--you don't take it out on everyone else," Boyd said.

“Anybody who would do that to children, to a person -- they couldn’t be in their right mind,” neighbor Lajerrl Robinson said.

Seven people are being treated. Some of them had to be taken to a burn unit in Chapel Hill.