The mother of a second grader at Lafayette Elementary School in Oakland is accused of attacking a 9-year-old girl with a hammer in a school restroom. The crime was reported as a sexual assault and authorities said the attack may have been driven by revenge.
Suspect Hasseemah Diemi was arrested at the school at 1700 Market Street in Oakland around 10:50 a.m. Friday morning, along with help from a school security guard. Although school officials did not disclose the girl's injuries, they confirmed Diemi used a hammer to harm the girl. Diemi was known around the school where she was a class volunteer. Diemi was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
According to the Chronicle, Diemi allegedly lured the girl from a playground to an outdoor restroom near the school and the adjacent Marston Campbell Park. According to Oaklnad Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint, she attacked the girl inside the restroom.
"I'm not commenting on the nature of the assault, but the girl was taken to a hospital," Flint told the Chronicle. "It was a serious assault."
Flint also believes the attack may have been fueled by a dispute between Diemi and another family at the school. "The preliminary speculation is that this was part of a family feud and some sort of revenge in the pursuit of that family feud," Flint explained. "There's apparently an ongoing rivalry or feud between families, and this may have been an act of retribution or vengeance as part of that feud."
This morning, an Oakland police officer was posted at the school to provide extra security. The school district also brought in a team of counselors and administrators to help students and staff cope with the incident and sent a note home to parents.
