A Florida mother was arrested after she was accused of holding a butter knife to her daughter’s neck because she was late to school.
Estela Torres-Henriquez was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and child abuse with no great bodily harm following the incident, Us can confirm.
Authorities learned of the incident when the victim reported the alleged abuse to police at South Dade Senior High School, according to the probable cause arrest affidavit viewed by Law & Crime. She claimed that the assault took place earlier that day at her home in Homestead, Florida.
The student claimed she was getting dressed for the day when Torres-Henriquez, 48, allegedly used a butter knife to unlock her bedroom door. The mother then allegedly started yelling at the victim because she was going to be late for school.
Police said that Torres-Henriquez was waving the knife near her daughter’s face before she placed it on the side of her neck. The victim reported she was in fear of her life as the alleged assault played out.
The student told police what happened as soon as she got to school. The officers also spoke with the victim’s sister, who gave a similar account of the incident and said she was concerned their mother was also going to threaten her.
After the sisters spoke to police, Torres-Henriquez reported to the Homestead Police Department to speak with the Department of Children and Families.
After she was read her Miranda rights, Torres-Henriquez claimed she only used the butter knife to open her daughter’s bedroom door because she was late for school. She denied using the knife to threaten the victim and insisted she did not hold the item close to her daughter’s neck.
Torres-Henriquez was ultimately arrested on Wednesday, October 28, and was taken into custody at the Miami-Dade Jail. She remains in custody after her bond for the aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge has been set to $5,000, according to online jail records viewed by Us. Meanwhile, her bond for the child abuse with no great bodily harm charge has not yet been set.
It’s not currently clear if Torres-Henriquez has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Homestead Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
