A woman is accused of threatening to kill and “sacrifice” her daughter with a large kitchen knife during an early morning domestic dispute on Saturday.
Police in Pottsville say they were dispatched to a home in the 700 block of W. Norwegian St. a little after 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 for a report of a domestic incident involving an armed subject. A woman reportedly called police to report her mother, identified as Elquira Nunez, 52, of Reading, was threatening her with a knife.
As they arrived at the scene, police say they found Nunez seated on a couch in the front living room. She was unarmed at the time, though she and her daughter continued to argue.
The daughter reportedly told police the dispute began earlier when Nunez made accusations about her using drugs and judged her lifestyle. She said she went upstairs with her infant child to avoid the argument. When she later started down the stairs to get water, she said she heard her mother say, “If you come down, I’m gonna (bleeping) kill you!” and “We’re going to sacrifice you.”
The daughter told police she turned on the downstairs lights and found Nunez sitting in the living room with a juvenile boy. After the daughter told Nunez to leave the house and phoned a relative to get an Uber, Nunez allegedly began repeatedly yelling, “I’m going to kill you. You’re going to be sacrificed,” while a county dispatcher was on the phone, police say.
Police say they reviewed a cell phone video recorded by the daughter. In that video Nunez is reportedly holding a large knife above her head with her right hand before hiding it behind her leg when she notices she is being recorded. Nunez is then seen walking toward her daughter, yelling “Te gusta, diablo, diablo, diablo” (translated, it means, “You like it, Devil Devil Devil,”) while the boy stands in front of Nunez, trying to push her away, police say.
Nunez told police she was holding the kitchen knife because her daughter threatened to get a gun. However, the boy reportedly told officers Nunez was lying and that the victim does not own a gun.
Police reported finding a knife behind the living room couch, directly behind where Nunez was sitting when officers arrived. The weapon was secured as evidence.
Nunez was arraigned later Saturday morning before Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker and charged with misdemeanor counts of making terroristic threats and simple assault as well as a summary count of harassment. Kilker set bail at $15,000 and remanded Nunez to Schuylkill County Prison. Nunez posted bond on Monday, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is currently scheduled for March 9.
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