Cobb County police have charged Christen Ericsson-Penfold, 43, a part-time art instructor at Kennesaw State University, with one felony count of aggravated assault following an incident in which she allegedly dragged a woman and a juvenile with her vehicle in a Northeast Cobb neighborhood last week.
The Incident
According to an arrest warrant, the incident occurred around 4:45 p.m. last Friday on Candlewood Way, a residential street off Blackwell Road near Shallowford Road. Ericsson-Penfold was reportedly seated in the driver’s seat of a black Chrysler minivan, parked with its sliding door open, while a woman holding a juvenile girl stood at the driver’s side rear door.
Police allege Ericsson-Penfold attempted to close the door and suddenly accelerated, causing both the woman and the child to be dragged before falling to the ground. The woman sustained abrasions to both knees, her right toe, and left elbow, while the girl suffered injuries to her left foot, ankle, and right elbow. Both victims were bleeding, according to police, though the warrant does not specify if they received medical treatment at the scene.
Arrest and Bond
Ericsson-Penfold, a Woodstock resident, was taken into custody later that day at Cobb Police Precinct 6 on Sandy Plains Road. She was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and released on an $11,220 bond two days later, according to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking report.
Key details from the case:
- Suspect: Christen Ericsson-Penfold, 43, part-time KSU art instructor
- Charge: One felony count of aggravated assault
- Incident date/time: Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, ~4:45 p.m.
- Location: Candlewood Way, NE Cobb
- Bond: $11,220, posted Aug. 3, 2025
Unanswered Questions
The warrant does not indicate what may have prompted the incident. As of publication, Kennesaw State University has not issued a public statement regarding Ericsson-Penfold’s employment status. Cobb police have not released additional details about the relationship between the suspect and the victims or whether further charges could be filed.
“Our detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to the assault,” said a Cobb County Police Department spokesperson. “We encourage any witnesses to come forward.”
The case remains under investigation, and Ericsson-Penfold is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.