WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa.–A York County mother is accused of choking her 11-year-old son after he attempted to defend his baby sister when she threatened to put the child outside in the cold on Valentine’s day.
Heather Hall, 35, of West Manchester Township, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of children and resisting arrest. She was arraigned Monday and taken to York County Prison in lieu of $35,000 bail.
Officers were dispatched to the 1700 block of Baron Drive on Sunday for a report of Hall attacking her 11-year-old son.
When police arrived at Hall’s apartment, her son opened the door and invited the officer inside, according to the criminal complaint. Hall had been asleep on the couch with her 2-year-old daughter. When she awoke, she became agitated and demanded her son not speak with the investigating officer.
Police said Hall appeared to be extremely intoxicated and nearly fell onto her daughter when she attempted to stand up.
Hall’s boyfriend, Mark Gibbs arrived at the apartment and told police that “she was drinking again.”
According to court documents, during the interaction with police, Hall began crying and repeatedly saying”I don’t want her anymore!” She was referencing her 2-year-old daughter, investigators said.
Police spoke with Hall’s 11-year-old son who called 911 after his mother threatened to put the 2-year-old outside in the cold, with 6 inches of snow on the ground, court documents state. When her son tried to block the hallway, Hall allegedly grabbed him by the throat and attempted to choke him. Officers observed a 3 inch long by 1/2 inch wide red mark on the front of her son’s neck, according to the criminal complaint.
Hall’s son fled the apartment and tried to get help from a neighbor. But he was ordered back inside, saying “I came back because my little sister has a little bit of a cold and I didn’t want my mom bringing her outside,” court documents state.
Hall’s son tried to retrieve a blanket for his sister, but Hall tackled him. He said, “I got a blanket in case my sister was put outside so I could cover us until you (police) got here.” He went on to say, “this happens all the time, but not this bad.”
While police were speaking with Hall’s son, she became enraged and was put into handcuffs while resisting arrest, according to the criminal complaint. During her arrest, she kicked a police officer and attempted to spit on them.
As she was being transported to Central Booking, she complained of foot and neck pain. She was taken to York Hospital and while there spit on a security officer, according to court documents. She was placed into a commitment cell and continued to spit at police.
York County Children and Youth were contacted and told investigators they were familiar with Hall’s case from an earlier incident reported on Jan. 17, 2016. In that incident, Heather was found extremely intoxicated outside the apartment, while her 2-year-old daughter was screaming in her crib, court documents state.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 31.
