Hamilton City woman armed with machete arrested

A Hamilton City woman was jailed Tuesday after reportedly wielding a large machete and threatening to kill two gas station employees, the Glenn County Sheriff's Office reported.

Manuela Gonzalez, 32, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats. She remains in custody in lieu of $175,000 bail, jail staff confirmed.

A court date was not available.

Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the Shell gas station on Highway 32 in Hamilton City just before 5 p.m., Sheriff Larry Jones said in a statement.

Gonzalez's mother, Diamantina Gonzalez, 65, was working her afternoon shift at the gas station and told deputies her daughter had been trying to call her earlier in the day.

"She said her daughter seemed mad about something but did not know what was bothering her," Jones said.

Sgt. Sean Arlin said the woman was angry with her mother, but said it was not clear why.

A co-worker, Amarjit Singh, 45, reportedly told the daughter that Diamantina Gonzalez would call her back after the flow of customers slowed.

Manuela Gonzalez then reportedly stated that since the co-worker would not put her mother on the phone, she was coming down to the store to "take care of him," Jones said.

Jones said a short time later Manuela Gonzalez reportedly entered the store, walked directly behind the counter, grabbed Singh by the neck with one hand while brandishing the knife in the other and told him "I'm going to kill you."

Gonzalez then reportedly turned to the store owner, Prithvipal Singh Gill, 45, and threatened to kill him also, Jones said.

Manuela Gonzalez reportedly left the store after hearing her mother called 911.

Amarjit Singh was able to free himself from the woman, Jones said. No one was hurt.

Deputies arrived to find the younger Gonzalez outside the store in an "agitated state," Jones said.

Gonzalez had placed the machete in the back of her pants waistband.

She was disarmed at gunpoint and taken into custody without further incident.

Court records show Gonzalez's criminal history includes at least two misdemeanor assault and battery convictions.

Contact Rob Parsons at 934-6800 or rparsons@tcnpress.com.