TEQUESTA, Fla. — A South Florida woman running for a village council seat is accused of stabbing her husband and daughter, authorities said.
Julie Kay Mitchell, 54, of Tequesta, was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of domestic battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and two counts of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence, according to Palm Beach County online court records.
The victims were Mitchell’s 60-year-old husband and the couple’s 17-year-old daughter, according to court records. Mitchell, who worked for the Town of Jupiter, was running for a seat on the Tequesta Village Council, according to WPEC-TV.
Newly released documents detail the moments a woman, who is running for a seat on the Tequesta Village Council, allegedly took a large kitchen knife to her husband and 17-year-old daughter Thursday, claiming they are "the devil."
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) January 20, 2024
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The incident happened at 7:30 a.m. EST at Mitchell’s residence, WPBF-TV reported. According to an arrest report from the Tequesta Police Department, police arriving at the scene encountered Mitchell’s daughter outside the home. She allegedly told police that “my mom just stabbed me and my dad.”
Police said that Mitchell’s husband had suffered a laceration on his upper left arm, according to WPBF.
Officers then located Mitchell, who allegedly was still armed with a knife, the television station reported. A struggle ensued before officers were able to disarm her.
According to the arrest report, Mitchell told officers that “demons are out to get her and she renounces Satan.”
All three members of the family were taken to an area hospital for treatment, the arrest report stated. It was unclear what led to the incident.
After she was read her rights, Mitchell allegedly told officers that “Satan lived in my home,” according to the police report. She added that her husband, daughter and family dog “were the devil” and that is why she stabbed them, the report stated.
“It’s scary actually,” Gary Greenwood, a neighbor, told WPEC. “To hear something like that. You just never know. I mean it’s not just this neighborhood I guess. The whole world is goin’ crazy.”
Mitchell’s campaign website was taken offline later Thursday, according to WPBF. She has not notified the city whether she plans to withdraw from the race, WPEC reported
“It’s a very sad day in Tequesta,” Tequesta Vice Mayor Laurie Brandon told WPTV. “And we really hope the public really respects the privacy of the family and that they heal, and that the community heals together with them.”
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