The names Emerson Eligio and Martha Palma have been very much in the news since September. He, the husband accused of beating her with a 2X4 and a car rim, and she, the forgiving wife. Well two days after his wife was charged for committing a mischievous act by withdrawing the plentiful abuse charges against him, Emerson Eligio was back in court yesterday.
The 37-year-old was arraigned on the charge of aggravated assault to which he pleaded not guilty. The charge arises after Betty Jean Broaster alleged that on June 8 Eligio went to her home and started to verbally abuse her mother. Betty Jean claims that when she tried to go to her mother's defense, Eligio pulled a machete and threatened to chop her. Eligio told the court that he was cutting grass when Betty Jean came to curse him out. The court heard both conflicting accounts, and when the prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that such crimes are too prevalent, Magistrate Sharon Frazer agreed, and remanded Eligio, once again, to 14 days in jail.