An angry wife in Texas was arrested after being accused of using a kitchen knife to attack her husband on Valentine’s Day during a fight over a gift she didn’t want.
Angry wife arrested on Valentine’s Day
Identified as 57-year-old Rita Tate, she reportedly faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to court records.
Law enforcement in Waco responded to a distress call on Friday, February 14, arriving at a home in McClellan, Texas.
The call, characterized as a “domestic disturbance in progress,” in the records obtained by Law & Crime.
Call logs indicate Tate’s husband was the one who contacted authorities, stating his wife was behaving aggressively and wielding a knife.
Officers reached the residence around 10:20 p.m., where Tate’s husband allowed them inside.
According to the husband’s account, earlier that morning, he had presented his wife with a necklace as her Valentine’s gift.
Allegedly disappointed due to not receiving the bracelet she wanted, Tate initially let him know he messed up before he left for work.
Angry wife couldn’t let it go
He arrived home later at 4 p.m., where her frustration reportedly persisted throughout the day.
Hoping she would cool down, he stepped out of the house for hours but returned to a worsening situation.
Her husband told officers that upon coming back home, he was met with Tate holding a large kitchen knife and shouting aggressively.
At one point, she allegedly pointed the knife at him while yelling, “come and get it.”
Feeling endangered, the husband managed to record the incident, reportedly capturing her actions on video.
Police reviewed the footage and confirmed seeing Tate holding the knife. She was arrested at the scene and booked into McLennan County Jail.
Meanwhile, a similar incident ended in a fatality in Indiana. 34-year-old Taylor Meyer was taken into custody after allegedly stabbing his wife to death, claiming disappointment over her reaction to his Valentine’s Day efforts.
Authorities said he reportedly stabbed 36-year-old Deborah Meyer around 40 times, later sending a morbid photo of her body to a man he suspected was her lover.
Police in Jeffersonville received a late-night call on February 14 from a concerned individual who said they overheard Deborah Meyer screaming for help during a call she managed to make.
Valentine’s date gone wrong
Officers arrived at the residence on Westwood Drive, finding no response after multiple knocks.
The caller, visibly distressed, informed officers he had just received a picture message from Deborah’s phone showing her lifeless body on the ground.
Authorities forced entry into the house, encountering an uncooperative Taylor Meyer. Using physical force, officers restrained and detained Meyer.
Inside the home, they discovered Deborah’s body and the couple’s three children, all under the age of five.
Investigators said Deborah showed apparent signs of having been stabbed roughly 40 times.
While being questioned, Meyer allegedly admitted to the murder, blaming a series of events leading back to January when he saw a photograph of his wife holding hands with another man.
Referring to the individual as her “co-worker,” Meyer claimed their marriage had been strained for weeks.
Wanting to rekindle their connection, Meyer said he planned an elaborate Valentine’s date under the theme “Bringing Paris to You,” involving French-inspired decorations made by their children.
“It was the hardest I’ve ever tried,” Meyer reportedly told detectives in frustration.
When his attempts were met with indifference, the situation escalated. He alleged his wife left the house after dinner, which heightened his suspicion of her infidelity.
When she returned 20 minutes later, Meyer confronted her, demanding access to her phone.
The argument allegedly turned physical after Deborah refused to hand over her phone, with Meyer claiming she struck him during the altercation.
He said he retaliated by grabbing her phone and insisting, “I’m stronger than you,” according to the affidavit.
As the altercation continued, Meyer described choking his wife and hitting her repeatedly with a wine bottle until she went unconscious.
Still uncertain if she was alive, Meyer retrieved what he described as a “big ass kitchen knife,” which he used to stab her repeatedly in the chest.
Following the attack, he snapped a photo of her lifeless body, sending it via text to her alleged lover with the caption “Your fault.”
A medical examiner later confirmed Deborah had been stabbed close to 40 times.
The suspect, Taylor Meyer, remains in custody at Clark County Detention Center and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A mental health evaluation has been ordered, pushing court proceedings to July.
