Man accused of attacking mother with knife, stealing her car

A 23-year-old man is behind bars after allegedly attacking his mother with a knife and then fleeing in her car.

Jerome Rhodes, with no current address, faces charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, unauthorized use of motor/other vehicles, harassment, and driving without a license.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by trooper Joseph Mitzak of the Pennsylvania State Police:

At 4:40 a.m., Mitzak was dispatched to a home on Mountain Road in Washington Township for a report of a son holding a knife to his mom’s throat.

At 5:11 a.m., Mitzak arrived at the residence and met with the victim inside her living room.

The victim was hysterically crying and very distraught.

Mitzak was told by the victim that the Walnutport Police Department woke her up around 3 a.m., and asked her to give her son a safe place to stay for the night.

The victim agreed, and allowed her son to stay at her house.

While there, Rhodes became irate out of nowhere, and started to tear apart the couch looking for his “brother’s body” due to him thinking his brother was dead.

The victim informed Rhodes that his brother is perfectly fine and is away at camp.

Rhodes threatened to hit his mother in the head with a pan, but instead grabbed her by the neck and choked her against the kitchen fridge.

After choking her with his hands, Rhodes grabbed a knife out of the kitchen sink and put his mother in a headlock.

While holding her in a headlock, Rhodes put the knife against her neck, causing a small laceration.

The mother had to grab the knife with her hand to get it away from her neck.

Rhodes then took the keys from his mother’s purse and took her red Nissan Altima without permission.

After Rhodes left the house, his mother deadlocked the door and called 911.

The Altima was later located nearby in the village of Emerald. Rhodes was found on the back porch of a home on Main Street.

After taking Rhodes into custody, a black knife was located on the ground near where Rhodes was sitting.

The knife is the same one that Rhodes used at his mother’s home.

Rhodes is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday before District Judge Tom Creighton of Slatington.

Rhodes is currently incarcerated in Lehigh County prison in lieu of $50,000 straight bail.