A Butler man pleaded guilty Wednesday, Nov. 12, the day jury selection was scheduled to begin for his trial on charges he stabbed a woman in a car in Oakland Township in May with two children in the back seat.

Jase W. Charlton, 29, pleaded guilty in Butler County Common Pleas Court to felony charges of aggravated assault and intimidating witnesses and a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of children.

Judge Joseph Kubit accepted the plea, ordered a pre-sentence investigation and will schedule a sentencing hearing for Charlton.

Charlton has been held in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bond since he was arrested two days after the May 6 incident in which he was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of children and single counts of intimidating witnesses, terroristic threats and harassment.

Police said Charlton and the woman were in a Kia Sorento when Charlton stopped the vehicle, unbuckled his seat belt and held a knife to the woman’s throat.

Charlton told the woman “I am going to kill you” before stabbing the woman in the upper left leg with the knife, police said.

Police said the woman’s friend informed them of the alleged stabbing and saw Charlton and the woman get into an argument while the three were at her house. She said the argument ended when Charlton shoved the woman into the vehicle.

After stopping the vehicle May 8, police observed bruising on the woman’s chin, and the woman showed police stitches on her upper left leg. Police said dried blood was observed on the seat and floor on the passenger side of the vehicle, and DNA swabs were taken.

The woman also had a mark on her neck consistent with a knife being held to it. Charlton was searched at the traffic stop and was found with a black folding pocket knife, police said.

Charlton was taken to the county jail following the traffic stop and made a phone call at the jail. Police said a deputy warden at the prison later emailed him a transcript and recording of the call between Charlton and the woman in which Charlton asked her not to testify.

During subsequent interviews, police said it was discovered that two children, ages 6 months and 18 months, were in the back seat at the time of the stabbing.