Woman accused of assault, theft

A woman accused of threatening her mother with a pocketknife and stealing her ex-boyfriend's bicycle was jailed Thursday afternoon.

Stella Mendoza, 32, of 14756 Audrey Ave. was arrested shortly before 2 p.m. near her mother's home. She was charged with aggravated assault, grand theft and trespassing.

The bicycle was discovered hidden behind her mother's house at 1334 Meadowlark Road, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Mendoza is accused of pulling a knife on her mother and pointing it close to her face.

She demanded cigarettes, money or any jewelry she could sell for cash, deputies said.

When the accuser stepped backward, Mendoza stepped forward in a menacing manner, according to an arrest affidavit.

Mendoza denied pulling a knife on her mother during her interview, but deputies said they discovered a knife in her purse that matched the description given by the accuser.

Mendoza was issued a warning in January about trespassing on her mother's property, which is why she was charged Thursday with trespassing.

During the investigation Thursday, it was learned Mendoza had taken her ex-boyfriend's bicycle earlier that same morning and brought it to her mother's house, according to the sheriff's office.

Mendoza was booked at the Hernando County Jail and held without bail.

It was the second time in two months Mendoza was arrested on charges of battery or assault. In mid-December, she was accused of throwing a cup of coffee on another woman outside a 7-Eleven.

Deputies searched her and discovered pills in her purse without a prescription, according to the sheriff's office.