Police: Brother and Sister Have Knife Fight

A brother and sister have been charged with assaulting each other with knives in a sibling battle that played out along Third Street in South Bethlehem on Friday night, according to police.

The incident began a little after 7 p.m. when Jacqueline Rivera, 24, of 918 Evans St., drove her car across two lanes of traffic and hit a car parked at Third and State streets where Neftali Rivera, 26, was sitting with his girlfriend, police said.

A fight then broke out with brother and sister chasing each other on the street, police said. At the end of it, Neftali Rivera of 1528 Elayne St., Bethlehem, had a stab wound in the chest and needed to be taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, police said.

Some time after that, according to police, Jacqueline Rivera showed up at Bethlehem police headquarters with a stab wound to her hand. She told police that it was her brother who first pulled the knife. She said she kicked the knife out of his hand, then swung it at him.

Both Riveras have been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief.