Knife-wielding woman terrorizes Athens convenience store customers

Patti Jean Rogers

By Joe Johnson

A homeless woman was arrested Tuesday evening after she reportedly terrorized customers of an Athens convenience store by waving a knife and making threats.

Patti Jean Rogers, 50, did not appear to know what she had done, and she told police that she had been defending herself, according to an Athens-Clarke County police report.

The incident occurred at Circle K on Prince Avenue, where Rogers reportedly ran in with a knife, yelling and cursing at customers while waving a knife. One customer was with her 5-year-old daughter at the time.

Another customer said that she left the store and went to her car, but Rogers followed with the knife and pulled on the vehicle’s door and window while threatening to kill, according to the report, which noted that a witness distracted Rogers by yelling, at which time the customer drove away and Rogers ran back into the store.

The customer said that her 13-year-old daughter, who was in the car, was traumatized by the experience, the report noted.

An officer wrote in the incident report that he explained several times to Rogers the reason she was being arrested, but the woman did not seem to understand and said that she had been defending herself.

The knife and two stolen Kit Kat candy bars were found in Rogers’ pocket, according to the police report.

She was charged with three counts of aggravated assault and one count of theft by shoplifting. As of Wednesday afternoon, Rogers was being held at the county jail without bail being set.