Woman Bites Officer

[bloodrayne]

Woman Bites Officer, Says She Has HIV
Suspect Faces Charge Of Exposing Person To Virus

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Kansas City woman is accused of intentionally trying to infect a police officer with the virus that causes AIDS.

Jessica Habiger (pictured, left) bit the officer Tuesday while he was trying to stop her from jumping up and down on cars at the Country Club Plaza, KMBC's Martin Augustine reported.

Habiger's former boyfriend, Jack Beldner, said she has mental problems and does not stay on her medication.

"The whole thing is, you know ... I loved her unconditionally. I took care of her for three years and watched her. But there was nothing I could do," Beldner said.

Merchants said Habiger was panhandling before she started jumping on cars. When security guards and a police officer tried to stop her, she swore at them and reportedly started fighting. It was during the struggle that Habiger bit the officer on the arm, drawing blood, Augustine reported. After she was in police custody, police said Habiger told them she was infected with HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

Habiger's boyfriend is skeptical of that claim.

"That's false," he said. "She was tested three months ago -- I know for a fact -- and tested negative on all those."

Habinger gave permission to have her blood tested for HIV. The officer who was bitten is also having his blood tested.

"It's always better to be safe than sorry, so we subjected the officer to the testing, just to be sure, just to give him peace of mind," police Capt. Rich Lockhart said.

Habiger is being held in the Jackson County Jail on $25,000 bond on the charge of recklessly exposing another person to HIV infection.