During the Thanksgiving weekend, a woman from Alabama was attached by her girlfriend’s brother. It was reported by NBC affiliate Local 15 that the woman, Mallory Owens, was being treated for injuries suffered on November 22 when she was attacked by Travis Hawkins Jr. Owens is dating Travis’ sister, Ally Hawkins. Owens reportedly suffered multiple skull fractures and crushed bones. She needed to have metal plates inserted under her eyes as a result of her injuries.
Hawkins was charged with second degree assault because of the attack. According to Owens’ sister, Avery Godwin, Travis had attacked Owens in the past.
“He never liked Mallory and Ally to begin with. Mallory would never do anything to hurt anyone. He should’ve been charged with attempted murder.”
WKRG said that Kristi Taylor, Owens’ mom, said that Owens was attacked because of her sexuality. “She was invited over by the family to eat Thanksgiving. I did not want her to go, I begged her not to go, knowing how the family felt about her. But she said, ‘They’re trying to be nice.'”
In an interview with Fox 10 TV, Taylor said, “The first time he attacked her with a pipe and hit her in the back of the head and on the back a few times. People stepped in to help then.”
The Hawkins family has denied claims that the attack was a hate crime. Owens said, “A lot of things have happened between us, but it doesn’t make me hate her brother. I don’t hate her family at all, or anybody for that matter.”
Owens has been released from the hospital and reports say that she is recovering from her injuries at the Hawkins home, where she was attacked.
“I want him behind bars for life,” Godwin said. “He doesn’t need to be out, because if he does he could do this to someone else or he’ll finish it off with my sister.”