A Bradford woman is in McKean County Jail for allegedly threatening Children and Youth Services caseworkers with a knife.
Crystal Dawn Knell, 38, of 35 Moorehouse Place, is charged with two counts each of terroristic threats, first-degree misdemeanors; and simple assault, second-degree misdemeanors; and one count each of interference with the custody of committed persons, a second-degree misdemeanor; and harassment, a summary offense.
According to the criminal complaint, at 4:37 p.m. Thursday, Bradford City Police were dispatched to 35 Moorehouse Place to assist CYS workers, who had a court order to remove children from the residence. When an officer arrived, he learned that when the caseworkers were at the residence, Knell became “distraught and combative” and grabbed a caseworker, shoving her backward.
Knell then grabbed a large kitchen knife and “began waving it at the caseworkers before charging at them and holding the knife up to the neck of one of the caseworkers,” the complaint stated.
Knell was arrested and arraigned before on-call District Judge Bill Todd, who committed her to jail in lieu of $15,000 bail. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Wednesday before District Judge Dom Cercone.
