Illinois woman didn’t realize she’d been stabbed in the chest until she fought back. Police say it started with a comment about fuzz in her hair

Cynthia Denise Dear, 44, is accused of stabbing a friend in the chest after an argument that reportedly started when the woman pointed out a piece of lint in her hair. Dear was arrested in Illinois on Oct. 11 and remains in custody at the Macon County Jail.

According to Globe, the two women were riding in a truck when the disagreement began. Court documents cited by local CBS affiliate WCIA state that Dear’s companion noticed a small piece of debris, described as “fuzz,” caught in her hair and pointed it out to her.

A witness told investigators that the comment was not meant as an insult. Dear allegedly took it badly, though, and began shouting at the woman through the truck’s open windows. The responding officer’s report states that Dear threatened her companion, allegedly yelling, “I’m going to give you the dirty south treatment.” The woman decided to walk away and head toward her home rather than continue arguing with her.

The victim tried to get away, but Dear allegedly followed her

Dear allegedly got out of the truck and followed her. She then began hitting the woman with her hands, according to the account in the police report. When the victim tried to get away, Dear reportedly returned to the vehicle and retrieved a canister of mace and a knife.

Prosecutors allege that Dear caught up with the woman, sprayed the back of her head with mace and jumped onto her back. The two struggled on the ground, where a witness reportedly saw Dear holding a silver knife with a black handle.

The victim managed to push Dear off and turn the struggle around. But after getting free, she realized that she had been stabbed in the chest. She broke away and ran to a nearby Burger King, where employees called emergency services.

She remains in custody

Police responded and arranged for the injured woman to receive medical attention at a local hospital. Officers then searched for Dear, finding her inside her truck near the scene. According to the police account, they recovered a silver knife stained with blood and a canister of mace from the vehicle. Dear was arrested and taken to the Macon County Jail, where she remains in custody.

The case is moving through the court system, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 28, 2026. Prosecutors are expected to present evidence at the hearing. She has been formally charged with aggravated battery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and committing a violent assault in a public place. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.