Berkeley County Teacher Fights Off Teen Attacker By Biting Off Tongue

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BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–A Cane Bay High School art teacher is proving she’s one tough woman. Recently, police say Paige Duvall was assaulted in her own home by a 16-year-old boy. However, she says she fought him off by biting off his tongue.

“I told my mom that I saw the worst in humanity and then I saw the most compassionate, supportive, amazing, generous part of humanity in the exact same day,” Duvall, who lives on Sumner Avenue in North Charleston, recently told Live 5 News on Thursday.

North Charleston Police quickly identified the teenaged suspect as Antoine Miller of Remount Road. Officers arrested him at a Waffle House after his mother is said to have called 9-1-1 to report her son needing medical assistance for “not having a tongue.”

According to police, Duvall told police she heard a knock at her door at 6:30 a.m. but when she answered it, no one was there. After several more knocks, her doorbell then rang. Officers say when Duvall opened the door, Miller was standing on her porch with a knife in his hand.

Duvall told police she screamed and tried to run back in the house, but Miller forced his way inside her home, tackled her, and punched her several times.

“Stop fighting and I won’t hurt you,” Miller reportedly told the woman before carrying her over his shoulder to the bedroom.

Police say Miller attempted to remove Duvall’s shorts but kicked him in the genital area. Miller reportedly the tried to kiss her, forcing his tongue in her mouth. That’s when Duvall bit down on his tongue as hard as she could.

“I felt empowered and I thought to myself, I would put that in my Rolodex of ‘If that happens to me that’s what I’m going to do,'” stated Duvall.

Miller has been charged as an adult with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, first-degree kidnapping, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Since the attack, Duvall says she’s received overwhelming support from family, friends and even strangers.

“I was inundated by love and support by friends and family and the community. People that don’t even know me are coming around…I’m so thankful to everybody. I really am. I can’t even express how thankful I am.”