A Florida mother is accused of holding a butter knife to her daughter’s neck because the girl was taking too long to get ready for school, according to police.
Estela Torres-Henriquez, 48, stands accused of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. She was arrested and taken to the Miami-Dade Jail on a $5,000 bond. Her next court date was not listed.
Student reported the incident at school
The alleged incident happened in the 500 block of SW 3rd Street in Homestead, near Miami. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the victim reported the alleged abuse to police at South Dade Senior High School.
The student said she was getting dressed for the day in her locked bedroom. Torres-Henriquez allegedly used a butter knife to unlock the door and began yelling at her daughter because she was going to be late for school.
Police wrote that the defendant waved the knife near her daughter’s face and then placed it on the side of her neck. The victim said she was in fear of her life.
Sister gives similar account
After the student told police what happened at school, officers spoke with the girl’s sister, who gave a similar account. The sister told officers she was concerned their mother was also going to threaten her, the affidavit stated.
Mother’s interview
Torres-Henriquez went to the Homestead Police Department for an interview with the Department of Children and Families. After being read her Miranda rights, she said she used the butter knife only to open her daughter’s bedroom door because the girl was late for school. She denied threatening the victim with the knife or holding it near her neck.
Police arrested her following the interview.
What happens next
Torres-Henriquez is being held on the $5,000 bond set after her arrest. It is not clear whether she has an attorney or when she will next appear in court. The details of the allegations come from the arrest affidavit, and the charge has not been proven in court.