Rita Palato Accused Of Stabbing

A Casper woman is accused of stabbing a man, while intervening in a family dispute.

Fifty-four year old Rita Palato has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and one charge of possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent.

Casper Police say on Sunday night May 26th, officers responded to the two-hundred block of West Seventh Street and found the victim bleeding with several puncture wounds.

The victim told investigators that his cousin and Palato had been out drinking, when the cousin revealed some information that the victim claimed was a lie.

Palato got upset and later found the victim and attacked him with a knife, saying she was going to kill him.

When police arrived, they detected an alcohol odor coming from Palato, and a portable breath test showed that she had a blood alcohol content of point-one-eight percent.

Palato is being held on $10,000 bond awaiting trial...and could face up to 10 years in prison on the assault charge and up to five years on the possession charge if convicted.