Cleveland police are searching for a woman accused of stabbing a victim in the leg with a pocketknife and swinging a paint scraper during a fight in May, then failing to show up for her court date afterward. Charmaine Martin, who stands 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds, now has an active arrest warrant tied to the alleged attack.
According to Cleveland 19 News, Martin allegedly stabbed the victim in the leg with a pocketknife and swung both the knife and a paint scraper during the confrontation. Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority police responded to the fight in May 2026, per Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County, according to the station's report. A court subsequently issued a warrant for Martin's arrest after she failed to appear for her scheduled court date.
Why CMHA Police Handled the Case
CMHA officers responded to and investigated the incident. The housing authority itself, founded in 1933 as the first chartered public housing authority in the United States, currently manages roughly 10,000 units, per the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority.
Martin's alleged use of a bladed weapon carries serious legal weight. Under Ohio Revised Code 2903.11, knowingly causing or attempting to cause physical harm with a deadly weapon constitutes felonious assault, a second-degree felony punishable by two to eight years in prison and fines up to $15,000, according to Watson Kuhlman, LLC. Ohio law also broadly defines a “deadly weapon” under Revised Code 2923.11 as any instrument capable of inflicting death that is used or adapted as a weapon, as explained by the Cross Law Office.
Failure to Appear Adds Another Felony
Martin's alleged failure to show up in court compounds her legal exposure. Under Ohio Revised Code 2937.99, skipping a court appearance while released on a felony charge is a separate offense — a fourth-degree felony that can add up to 18 months in prison upon conviction, per Funkhouser Law. The same firm notes that warrants for tier one offenses must be logged into Ohio's Law Enforcement Automated Data System and the FBI's National Crime Information Center within 48 hours.
Martin was last known to stay in the 12000 block of Brackland Avenue, according to the station's report. She also has a criminal history with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office dating back to 2016, the station's report notes.
Reward Money and How to Report a Tip
Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County is asking anyone with information on Martin's whereabouts to call 216-252-7463, with tipsters potentially eligible for a reward of up to $5,000. Calls can remain completely anonymous. The nonprofit, established in 1977 by local law enforcement associations, funds its rewards through community and business donations rather than public tax dollars, according to Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County.
Crime Stoppers says tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for rewards, per the organization's published guidelines.
Martin's alleged use of a paint scraper is an unusual weapon choice that may draw public attention to the fugitive alert.
Crime Stoppers says tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000 for information about Martin's whereabouts.
