Children from two Akron families apparently witnessed ugly scenes of threats and violence involving men in their lives, according to Wednesday’s Akron police briefing.
In the first case, police charged Kenneth Hayes, 41, of Winans Avenue with domestic violence and other charges.
Police said Hayes and a woman were arguing in front of Hayes’ six children when Hayes slapped the woman across the face and grabbed a knife from the kitchen. Hayes went to the living room with the knife and threatened all six of the children, police said, before using the knife to stab a wall.
When officers arrived, they found Hayes, intoxicated, passed out on a couch, police said.
In the second case, police arrested Toddell Alexander, 29, of Russell Avenue on charges including abduction and domestic violence.
Alexander, police said, went to the Lacroix Avenue house of a woman to pick up his children even though the woman told him not to, saying she would meet him elsewhere to drop off the children.
After Alexander arrived, he went into the house, tried to hit the woman in the face, took two children and left, police said.
When the woman called police for help, officers called Alexander and told him to return the children. Police said Alexander told them: “[T]ell her to go kill herself, I’m not bringing the children back.”
Alexander was later arrested and the children were returned to their mother, police said.
Police pointed out that both Hayes and Alexander have prior convictions for domestic violence.