Wake County deputies charge two in assault on disabled woman
Deputies arrested Rene Howard and James Stephenson after a May 21 assault near Raleigh, charging both in a case involving a woman with disabilities.
Wake County deputies arrested Rene Howard, 54, and James Stephenson, 62, after an assault report on a woman with disabilities in the 10400 block of Fanny Brown Road near Raleigh.
The Wake County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded Thursday, May 21, 2026, and investigators made the arrests Wednesday, May 27. Howard was charged with assault inflicting serious injury and felony assault on an individual with a disability. Stephenson was charged with interfering with emergency communication, assault inflicting serious injury, assault on a female, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and felony assault on an individual with a disability.
The sheriff's office said the investigation remains ongoing. No further details about the woman, including her living situation or the relationship between the victim and the two defendants, were released in the initial reporting.
North Carolina law gives special weight to assaults against people whose disabilities leave them less able to defend themselves. Under North Carolina General Statute 14-32.1, an individual with a disability is someone whose physical or mental disability, or infirmity, substantially impairs the ability to defend oneself. The law also treats an assault as aggravated when a suspect uses force likely to cause serious injury, actually inflicts serious injury, or intends to kill.
That statute makes the Wake County case more than a routine assault prosecution. The charges suggest law enforcement is treating the episode as a violent encounter involving a protected victim, with allegations that include both serious injury and interference with emergency communication.
The arrests add to the scrutiny on how abuse involving adults with disabilities is identified and interrupted before it escalates. In this case, deputies were called to Fanny Brown Road near Raleigh, and investigators followed with charges nearly a week later, a timeline that underscores how quickly a reported assault can turn into a felony case when a vulnerable victim is involved.
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