Cops: Woman stabs, kills boyfriend
Death is second domestic homicide in two weeks
“Staying at home together, as we all are now doing, comes with stresses that may trigger domestic violence.” — Kevin Steele, Montgomery County District Attorney
POTTSTOWN » A woman stabbed and killed her boyfriend inside their North Charlotte Street apartment in what police said is the second domestic violence murder in the borough in as many weeks.
Caitlin Mauras, 21, allegedly killed Jaylin Thomas, 24, just before 10 p.m. Thursday after an argument over a TV program and the contents of his phone, according to a release from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Mauras has been charged with first-degree and third-degree murder, as well as possession of a weapon and possession of an instrument of crime as a result of the incident.
“This is the second tragic domestic violence death in a week in Pottstown,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a release from his office. “Both murders occurred after arguments by two people who lived together.”
Steele said earlier in the week that incidents of domestic abuse were on the rise throughout Montgomery County while residents have been ordered to shelter in place.
“Staying at home together, as we all are now doing, comes with stresses that may trigger domestic violence,” he said.
The incident occurred the same day as a Boyertown homicide in which a 23-year-old man allegedly stabbed a 24-year-old woman in the neck, killing her.
In the Pottstown incident, police were called to 351 N. Charlotte St., Apt. 10, located on the corner with Jefferson Avenue, just before 10 p.m. Thursday.
When police arrived, Thomas was found on the floor with “an apparent stab wound and was pronounced dead at the scene by personnel from Goodwill Ambulance. Mauras was present inside the apartment when police arrived,” according to the release.
When Officer John Schmalbach spoke to Mauras, “who had blood on her hands and clothing,” she told him “I thought it was the spatula,” according to the criminal complaint.
One witness, who called 911 and whose identity was not released, told Pottstown Police Detective Heather Long that Mauras was observed “screaming and hysterical” and that Mauras said “I didn’t mean to do it. I was just trying to scare him,” according to the complaint.
On Friday, Mauras was interviewed by Pottstown Police Detective Brooke Hatfield and told the detective the two had lived together for six months.
Thursday evening “they had a brief verbal argument regarding the television program ‘Family Guy,’” according to the criminal complaint.
Later Mauras looked at Thomas’ phone while he was sleeping and “she found he was viewing the Twitter account of his former girlfriend,” Hatfield reported.
Mauras confronted Thomas “and threw his phone against the wall,” Hatfield was told. “Mauras claimed that Thomas pushed her against the wall, then attempted to grab his cell phone. The pair fell to the floor and then separated,” according to the complaint.
Mauras went into the kitchen “reached into the sink dish rack and grabbed what she believed was the spatula,” went back into the living room “and took a ‘whack’ at Thomas to ‘hurt him’ and ‘scare him,’” according to the complaint.
Hatfield reported Mauras told her that “Thomas held his bleeding neck and was silent before collapsing on the living room floor.”
Thomas did not threaten Mauras prior to the stabbing and he was unarmed, according to the criminal complaint.
Montgomery County detectives found a “bloodcovered silver knife” on the kitchen floor, according to the complaint.
The autopsy concluded Thomas died from the neck wound and ruled the cause of death a homicide.
Mauras was arraigned by District Judge Scott Palladino. Bail is not available for first-degree murder, and Mauras was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m., April 27, before Judge Palladino, according to the release from the District Attorney’s office.
A conviction of first-degree murder, which is an intentional killing, can carry penalties of life imprisonment or a death sentence. A conviction of third-degree murder, which is a killing committed with malice, carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison.
The homicide is the third to take place in Pottstown in the last two weeks, and the third to have elements of a domestic violence incident.
On Friday, April 10, Pottstown Police responding to three 911 calls of a couple at a West King Street home “yelling and screaming” and “trying to fight her husband,” were confronted by 31-year-old Jonathan Lee Adams, who began shooting at police.
Police eventually returned fire, killing Adams. That shooting remains under investigation and has not been officially declared a domestic violence incident.
The same cannot be said of the death of Mary Hatfield, 71, inside her North Hanover Street apartment.
According to police, Hatfield was killed by her husband Michael, 69, on Wednesday, April 8 when he strangled her with an electrical extension cord. Police said Michael Hatfield did not call police to report his wife’s death until the morning of Friday, April 10
An analysis by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau released Thursday “showed that domestic violence is up 8-9 percent in the county since the coronavirus crisis began,” according to Steele.
“People living in these situations, male or female, need to know that there is help available. Call the hotlines. Talk to someone about getting help,” Steele advised.
Laurel House’s 24/7 domestic violence hotline is 800-642-3150. The Women’s Center of Montgomery County’s hotline is 800773-2424.
“Both of these helplines are answered by trained volunteers who can listen, offer advice on services available, provide safety planning, and get immediate safe shelter for victims and children,” according to the DA’s release.
More information can be found at laurel-house. org and wcmontco.org.