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Police: Homeless man assaults 2 women, says he knows ‘how to kill people’

A homeless man from New Jersey who claimed to be “a doctor and who knew how to kill people” has been locked up on charges in connection with a home invasion Saturday at the Loyalsock Township residence of his ex-wife, according to state police.

In addition to assaulting his ex-wife, Erica, Amer Omar Ghayyada allegedly tried to strangle neighbor Rebecca Wilson, who tried to help the woman moments after Ghayyada entered the house at 341 Clayton Ave. through the back door about 2:45 p.m., police said.

Inside the house at the time was Erica and her five children, who range in ages 5 to 13, police said.

Ghayyada confronted his ex-wife, poking her in the chest, telling her he would “hit her so hard so that he could break her trachea,” police said. He then told the woman that he “was a doctor and knew how to kill people.”

The mother and three of the children managed to escape through the front door, but the oldest and youngest child hid in an upstairs bathroom, police said.

Hearing the commotion, Wilson came to the home in an attempt to help get the two other children out of the house, police said.

However, Ghayyada “grabbed Wilson by the throat and pushed her against the wall” with what Wilson described as “an evil look in his eyes,” a trooper wrote in an affidavit.

Ghayyada was pushing on Wilson’s throat so hard that she “was sure she was going to die and not come out alive,” she told police.

Ghayyada then ran upstairs and ransacked Erica’s bedroom while her current boyfriend fled to a porch roof, police said.

Once on the scene, troopers took Ghayyada into custody after he stole a camera from the woman’s bedroom.

Arraigned before District Judge Gary A. Whiteman on charges of burglary, strangulation, terroristic threats, theft and related offenses, Ghayyada was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.

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