City Man Threatened to Kill Woman, Her Son: Police

A Bethlehem man held a knife “in a loaded position” over a woman while she was in bed early Thursday and threatened to kill her, court records say.

Kareem Johnakin, 41, also is accused of threatening to kill the woman’s son inside the same house at 2447 South Court in the northeast section of the city.

The son told police he saw Johnakin holding a knife and that Johnakin told him “he was going to kill them,” the records say.

Police arrived at the South Court address around 3 a.m., according to a criminal complaint filed by Bethlehem police Officer James J. Hoffman.

The woman and her son were standing outside. The woman told Hoffman Johnakin had yelled at her while she was inside her bedroom. He went over to the bed and ripped the sheets off of her, she said.

He then pulled a knife from a closet and raised it over his head “in a loaded position” while telling her he was going to kill her, the complaint says.

She said she ran to her son’s bedroom while yelling for him to call police.

The son told police he was sleeping in his bedroom when he heard a commotion from the hallway. He walked out of his room, saw Johnakin holding a knife and heard him say he was going to kill them, the complaint says.

Johnakin was charged with two counts of terroristic threats and one count of simple assault.

He was arraigned shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday by on-duty District Judge Jackie Taschner of Palmer Township and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $35,000 bail.