People v. Cowart CA2/4

Filed 8/28/25 P. v. Cowart CA2/4 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FOUR

THE PEOPLE, B336588 (Los Angeles County Plaintiff and Respondent, Super. Ct. No. KA127982)

v.

TIMOTHY COWART,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Henry J. Hall, Judge. Affirmed. Leonard J. Klaif, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey, Assistant Attorney General, Scott A. Taryle, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Daniel C. Chang and Deepti Vaadyala, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

Defendant Timothy Cowart brutally beat his girlfriend over a three-day period, causing her permanent injuries and disfigurement. A jury convicted Cowart of mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon. On appeal, Cowart contends the mayhem conviction must be reversed due to prejudicial instructional error. He also contends there is insufficient evidence to support the assault with a deadly weapon conviction. We disagree with Cowart’s contentions and affirm the judgment.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY In 2021, Inett F. (victim) shared an apartment with Cowart, her then- boyfriend. Over the course of a three-day period, Cowart beat the victim with his fists, feet, and a metal bat. The beatings started in the morning of June 30, 2021, when Cowart accused the victim of taking his cap. When the victim denied taking it, Cowart began punching her with his fists. Cowart hit the victim with his fists over a hundred times throughout the day. He would target her open wounds and reopen closed wounds. He “socked” her knees and kicked her. Cowart hit the victim’s head with a metal bat and “opened [her] head.” Cowart rebuffed the victim’s plea for medical attention. He also grabbed her head while calling her names and “smashed” her like she was a “rag doll.” The next morning, on July 1, Cowart accused her of taking something else. He started hitting her with a closed fist and only stopped punching her on the mouth when he cut his hand on her teeth. Cowart then kicked the back of her head, face, and body. The victim began to bleed. When Cowart regained his strength, he kicked her again. Cowart injured the victim’s left ear when he beat her “ear like it was a drum.”