Beaver County woman arrested, accused of making threats to kill her disabled child
An Aliquippa woman is facing charges after she allegedly made threats on social media to kill her disabled, 8-year-old child.
Aliquippa police were notified around 4 p.m. Monday about a woman on Facebook Live making threats to kill her child.
An acquaintance of the woman says she called the police after seeing the livestream and began to fear what might happen.
"I feel like stabbing him to death," suspect Valerie McDermott, 42, is quoted as saying in the video.
Responding officers obtained and reviewed the video where McDermott "made multiple very specific threats about harming [and] killing her child," according to the City of Aliquippa Police Department.
When officers arrived at her residence, McDermott allegedly refused to open her locked screen door. Officers told McDermott multiple times that she was under arrest for the threats made against her child and for endangering the welfare of her child.
After McDermott refused to comply with the officers' requests, officers forced entry into the residence and took McDermott into custody without incident.
Alyssa McHenry has known McDermott for 15 years and says just two weeks ago, she had to call the police in Ohio because McDermott allegedly left her son in the car while she was shopping inside a store.
"She needs mental help. She [doesn't] necessarily need to be sitting in jail because that's not going to help her. She needs to go to a mental hospital and get help," McHenry said. "That kid deserves better than her."
The child was turned over to his grandmother. Police said they found the home in deplorable condition, and the non-verbal child was dressed in dirty clothes with a full diaper.
McDermott was transported to the Beaver County Jail. Children and Youth Services were also notified.
McDermott has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, terroristic threats, and obstruction of justice.
Her preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 28.
