Chattanooga Woman Jailed For Attacking Sequatchie Doctor Who Refused To Give Pain Meds Prescription

Cecilia Drusilla Thomas Charged With Assault, Attempted Aggravated Assault

  • Sunday, October 15, 2017
  • Judy Frank
Cecilia Drusilla
Cecilia Drusilla
A Chattanooga woman who traveled more than 40 miles to Dunlap, TN in an attempt to get a prescription for pain pills reportedly left the doctor’s office empty handed – and angry.

Today, 54-year-old Cecilia Drusilla Thomas is in Sequatchie County Jail charged with assaulting Dr.
Mary Baldwin, the physician who refused to give her the prescription she wanted.

Held on $15,000 bond, Ms. Thomas is scheduled to appear in Dunlap Municipal Court on Oct. 26 on charges of assault, attempted aggravated assault and vandalism, according to Dunlap Police Chief Clint “Hightower” Huth.

The current charges aren’t Ms. Thomas’ first brush with the law, according to court documents in Hamilton and adjoining counties. Often, however, records indicate she was indicted under another of the variety of aliases she has used over the years.

On Feb. 8, for example, the Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted her for theft of property under the name Cecilia W. Massey. In the indictment, jurors noted she is also known as Cecilia D. Massey, Cecilia D. Thomas, Cecilia Drusilla Thomas and Cecilia Drusilla Zunitch.

She is scheduled to appear before Criminal Court Judge Don Poole on that charge on Nov. 11.

Nearly two years earlier, on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, she was booked on the same charge – that time, under the name Cecilia Drusilla Zunitch – into Hamilton County Jail. That time, the charges were brought by US federal marshals.

In the recent Sequatchie County case, Dr. Baldwin wasn’t Ms. Thomas’ only victim, according to Police Chief Huth.

When Ms. Thomas left the doctor’s office, the chief said, she grabbed her medical chart and took it outside with her. Dr. Baldwin followed her to the parking lot in an attempt to retrieve the chart, he said, and the two women struggled.

Dr. Baldwin’s office staff – as well as employees of Dr. Debora Daniels, whose medical office is directly across Rankin Avenue – saw what was happened and rushed to help the embattled physician, according to the police chief.

Ms. Thomas then got into her white 1998 Chevy S 1O pickup truck and sped out of the parking lot, he said, nearly striking Dr. Baldwin and the people who had come to help her.

By that time, he said, somebody had called 9-1-1 and both city and county officers responded.

Shortly afterwards, the police chief said, Dunlap Police Sgt. Randy Phillips spotted Ms. Thomas in her truck about 1.5 miles away, on Walnut Street, and stopped her.
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