LERONA, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A Mercer County woman is facing multiple charges after deputies say she assaulted her 12-year-old daughter during a violent altercation at their home on Pine Grove Road.
According to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the residence around 6:42 p.m. on October 26, 2025, after receiving a report that a juvenile had fled her home and told relatives she had been attacked by her mother.
Deputies J.A. Brooks and Deputy Steele met with the child and her uncle, Aaron Rasnick, who said the girl arrived at his home bleeding and said her mother, Joanna Rasnick, had been drinking and became violent after an argument.
Investigators say the child suffered visible bruising to her lip and face. The victim told deputies her mother punched her, grabbed her by the hair, and slammed her face into a wall. The girl said she bit her mother’s finger while trying to get free.
Deputies documented the injuries with photographs and contacted Child Protective Services (CPS). The victim was taken to the sheriff’s office for safety while CPS worked to place her temporarily with her uncle.
When deputies and a CPS worker later returned to the home to speak with Joanna Rasnick, they said she refused to come outside and tried to block officers from entering. Deputies reported that Rasnick resisted arrest, forcing officers to use minimal force to handcuff her safely.
Rasnick was charged with domestic battery, child neglect resulting in injury, and obstructing an officer. She was processed at the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and later transported to Southern Regional Jail to await arraignment.
