Wahkia Sanders, 43, of Towamencin.
A Towamencin woman is facing aggravated assault and strangulation charges after she allegedly pinned down a 10-year-old boy at a playground at Morgandale Condominiums so her 8-year-old son could beat him up.
Wahkia Sanders, 43, has been charged with felony aggravated assault along with misdemeanor counts of strangulation, simple assault, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats and corruption of minors, in connection with the investigation.
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to a report of a disturbance at the playground at Morgandale Condominiums at 5:30 p.m. on April 26. Witnesses told police that an adult female held down a child while she allowed her son to repeatedly strike the child in the face, and they added that they heard a lot of shouting and cursing coming from the adult female, the report states.
Upon arrival, police identified the woman as Sanders and the victim as a 10-year-old male, the report states. Sanders allegedly admitted to holding the victim down and encouraging her 8-year-old son to “tee off” on the victim, police said.
Sanders reportedly told police that “holding the child in order to then have her son assault anyone is not ok,” according to the complaint.
Police spoke with the victim, who stated that Sanders grabbed him by the neck and choked him before throwing him to the ground, the report states. Investigators said the victim was crying as he told them about the assault, and they observed red marks around his neck and clavicle area, according to the complaint.
Three days later, investigators viewed surveillance footage of the incident, which “clearly showed” Sanders repeatedly choking the victim, bending him backwards and then throwing him onto the ground, police said. Once on the ground, the footage showed Sanders applying force to the victim’s neck with her forearms while restraining the victim’s wrists, the report states.
Sanders’ son then approaches the victim and repeatedly strikes him in the face with a closed fist, according to the complaint. The criminal complaint did not provide any motive for the alleged attack.
On May 8, investigators conducted a forensic interview of the victim, who stated that he was unable to breath and the choking was “really tight,” police said. The victim told police that Sanders kept encouraging her son to punch him harder, and that he was “shaking” and “super scared” during and after the assault, according to the complaint.
The victim told investigators that after the assault, his lip was bleeding and his throat and neck “hurt a lot,” police said.
Charges were filed against Sanders on May 20, and she was taken into custody the following day. Sanders was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Marc Alfarano, who set bail at $99,000 cash.
Court records indicate that Sanders posted bail on May 24, and all charges against her were held after she waived her preliminary hearing on June 2. Her next court appearance will be a formal arraignment at county court, however that has not been scheduled as of the time this article was published.
Sanders is being represented by Michael P. Quinn, Esq. In response to a request for comment from North Penn Now, Quinn confirmed that they waived Sanders' preliminary hearing and are awaiting her formal arraignment.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
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