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Felony Charges Dropped Against Florida Woman Who Took Her Husband's Guns

LAKELAND (CBSMiami/CNN) - Felony charges against a Florida woman who took her ex-husband's guns have been reduced.

Courtney Taylor Irby was arrested last month after police say she removed weapons from her estranged husband's apartment. She was arrested and charged with three felonies.

On Wednesday, State Attorney Brian Haas announced she will instead face a misdemeanor trespassing charge. He said the reduction in charges came after they determined the information released about the case was inaccurate.

"People who are uninformed about this case, it is our conclusion that Mrs. Irby did not go to her husband's apartment to retrieve the guns. The narrative that Mrs. Irby went to the apartment to get the guns to protect herself and her children is false," he said.

Haas said his office will pursue a battery charge against Joseph Irby but noted there is no evidence he tried to kill his estranged wife. Irby reportedly hit his wife's vehicle with his car at low speed a day before her arrest.

It was previously reported that Irby went to her ex's house after a judge said he could not have weapons. She took the guns and gave them to Lakeland police.

Hass said she also took other valuables and believes the guns were an afterthought. He added that while she is a victim of domestic violence, it does not give her permission to go in someone else's home.

(©2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company, contributed to this report.)

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