Woman jailed in stabbing; brawls erupt at 2 locales

Sunday was anything but a day of rest for Gonzales police, who responded to no less than four violent incidents in less than 24 hours.

According to Gonzales Police Capt. Allen Taylor, at around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, police arrived at a home in the 900 block of Water Street where they found Melvin Johnson, 56, of Gonzales, stabbed in the upper abdomen. They arrested Lou Ella Goode, 60, of San Antonio, and took her into custody at the Gonzales County jail. Goode is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and remains incarcerated in lieu of a $50,000 surety bond.

At 12:45 a.m., officers were dispatched to the Silver Star Saloon in the 800 block of St. Paul Street in reference to a fight that broke out inside the bar. By the time police arrived, the altercation had spilled into the parking lot. Taylor reported that some people jumped into a red Chevrolet pickup and quickly sped away northbound on St. Peter Street. Because of the crowd blocking access to the street, police were unable to engage in an immediate pursuit of the vehicle. A subsequent search for the vehicle proved fruitless.

Then at 1:15 a.m., police responded to a call in the area of Sycamore and Seydler streets in reference to gunshots being fired. Taylor said a resident told police he heard 5-6 shots fired, followed by the sound of dogs barking. No suspects were found.

Police were also dispatched to a brawl that was reported at 8:40 p.m. Sunday in the 100 block of St. George Street. Scanner reports indicated a group of some 15 people were engaged in a street brawl, with one of them being a pregnant woman. When police arrived, the crowd dispersed and fled the scene. Taylor said police and EMS arrived at the scene and questioned the woman, who was visibly upset. The woman, who was uninjured in the brawl, refused to release the names of those involved in the conflict and did not press charges.