Woman Accused of Attacking Mother, Daughter

A woman struck her mother in the back inside a Bethlehem apartment, struggled with her daughter when the younger woman came to assist her grandmother, then walked onto W. Union Blvd. and had to be restrained by police, according to court records.

The suspect, Tiarra Gugie, 32, had a hypodermic needle in a sweatshirt pocket when police searched her Thursday night. She told police she did not have a valid medical purpose for the needle, the records say.
 
Gugie also was wanted on a probation/parole violation. She told police she is on probation in Lehigh and Northampton counties, the records say.

An officer called to the apartment at 20 W. Union Blvd. saw items thrown all over the residence. He also saw a small laceration above Gugie’s left eye.

Gugie’s daughter told police she saw her mother punching her grandmother in her back as the older woman walked up the stairs. The daughter said she and her mother began grabbing each other’s hair and shoving each other.

The grandmother confirmed to police that Gugie hit her on her back and said Gugie received the laceration when she bumped her head on a television while throwing things around.

Gugie became irate when an officer told her she was accused of hitting her mother. She yelled obscenities outside the apartment, then walked onto W. Union Blvd. and had to be restrained, the records say.

Gugie was charged with possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, harassment and disorderly conduct. She was arraigned by on-duty District Judge John Capobianco and taken to Northampton County Prison after failing to post 10 percent of $7,500 bail.

Court records show she pleaded guilty to charges of retail theft brought by Bethlehem police in 2011 and was scheduled for a probation-related hearing in December. Records also show that Gugie, who also goes by the last name Melezchuk, was sentenced in January 2011 after pleading guilty to conspiracy-theft by unlawful taking charges brought by Allentown police. Other charges including burglary were dropped.

Records for Thursday’s incident also say it was the first time Bethlehem’s new video arraignment equipment was used.