Hearing Set for Pasadena Woman Accused in Pickaxe Window-Smashing

A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday, August 29, for a 65-year-old Pasadena woman charged with using a pickaxe to vandalize her neighbor’s home in a brazen attack captured on widely-published video.

Beverly Ann Baker is to appear in Department D of the Pasadena Courthouse at 8:30 a.m., located at 300 E. Walnut St., for a hearing related to the October 24, 2022 incident that left the victim family traumatized and caused an estimated $20,000 in damage.

Prosecutors allege Baker was caught on surveillance footage repeatedly striking the windows of a home on Asbury Drive with a pickaxe, returning multiple times to continue the destruction. 

The homeowner’s mother-in-law was inside babysitting a 6-week-old infant at the time, narrowly escaping injury.

“Questions? Questions anyone? I’ll be back! Get out!” Baker reportedly shouted during the attack.

Police arrested Baker after a standoff at her residence, two blocks from the scene. Her ex-husband reportedly lives across the street from the targeted home. 

The victimized homeowner, Arman Tchoukadarian, suspects the attack may have been a hate crime due to their Armenian heritage, though police have not confirmed this motive.

Authorities have suggested Baker may have been experiencing a mental health crisis. Neighbors reported odd behavior in the days leading up to the incident, including one report of Baker shouting, “I am the bride of the God of Barack Hussein Obama the second.”

On November 1, 2022, a judge declared doubt about Baker’s mental competency to stand trial. She has remained in custody since her arrest. 

The victims, who obtained a restraining order against Baker, say they’ve been deeply affected by the attack. Tchoukadarian said his wife and child were initially too frightened to return home.