MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A southwest Miami-Dade man was arrested Thursday after police said he allegedly abused his elderly mother for several years, including recent incidents of strangling her and threatening her with hot coffee and a knife.
According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, Brett Thomas Matthews, 39, faces charges of aggravated battery on a person 65 years or older and domestic battery by strangulation.
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Police said they responded to a domestic battery call at Community Health of South Florida on Thursday, where the alleged abuse was reported.
The victim, whose identity and age were not disclosed in the report, initially told hospital staff that she had been physically abused by her son for about a year, authorities said. However, she later told police that the abuse had been ongoing for three years, the report stated.
The victim described a series of disturbing incidents to responding police officers, stating that on Monday, Matthews hit her and placed a wet cloth over her mouth, obstructing her breathing, police said. She also claimed Matthews applied pressure to sensitive areas on her legs, causing significant pain, they said.
The victim further alleged that Matthews put his hands around her neck, hovered hot coffee over her head and waved a plastic knife in front of her, according to the report.
The sequence of events was unclear, but police said the victim stated she “feared for her life” during each incident.
Jail records show Matthews was taken into custody just before 8 p.m. Thursday.
As of Friday afternoon, Matthews remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond had not yet been determined.