A Kresgeville man who threatened to kill his son, and others, with a knife has been charged by state police at Lehighton with simple assault and terroristic threats.

The incident occurred at 3:25 p.m. Sept. 19 at the family residence on Koch Road, Towamensing Township.

Joseph Pellegrino, 77, was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Casimir T. Kosciolek of Lansford, and committed to the Carbon County Correctional Facility, Nesquehoning, in lieu of $40,000 bail. He has since been released on a 10 percent bond, pending a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge William J. Kissner of Palmerton.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Michael Sofranko, he was summoned to the home by Joan Pellegrino, the defendant’s spouse, and, upon arrival, found the defendant in a highly intoxicated state laying in the floor of the garage, near the entrance to the basement of the residence, yelling and screaming loudly.

The officer said Anthony Pellegrino, 38, identified as the defendant’s son, related that he entered the garage after waiting for a school bus to arrive outside, and found his father in the doorway from the garage area, brandishing a knife. The son told police Joseph Pellegrino said, “I’m going to kill you and everyone else.”

Anthony Pellegrino said when his father started to approach him with the knife in his hand, he pushed him, causing the father to fall to the ground in the garage area, at which time he threw the knife.

Sofranko said Joan Pellegrino told him she did not witness the incident but she did hear her husband make the verbal threats.

A search of the “cluttered” garage failed to uncover the knife, although the officer’s report said a knife was observed missing from the knife block in the kitchen.