Police in Pittsburgh's Troy Hill neighborhood arrested a man Thursday night accused of assaulting and threatening a man, woman and their son.

Authorities said officers responded to Lowrie Street about 10 p.m. for an assault report.

Mickole Persinger told police she was choked by a man who left and came back with a shotgun and a sword.

According to police, Persinger said she was sitting outside her house when Mark Kainz, 41, walked up to her and began choking her. Persinger said she couldn't breathe, and Kainz told her, "I should kill you right now," she told investigators.

“He choked me while I was sitting in a chair. He had his hands wrapped around my throat,” Persinger said.

Persinger told police that after Kainz left, her husband walked toward Kainz's house, and Kainz pointed a gun at him. Kainz then returned to his home.

Investigators said Kainz then came back to the victims' house with a large sword and swung it at the couple's fifth-grade son. The couple told police Kainz threatened to cut his head off.

"He tried to cut my head off,” the boy said.

Once police arrived at the scene, they found three men inside Kainz's house, as well as a 22-caliber rifle. Officials said they didn’t find a sword or knife.

Two of the men were questioned, and Kainz was arrested and taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

He is facing charges of possessing instruments of crime, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Kainz’s friends, including Terry Cavanaugh, told Channel 11’s Renee Kaminski that they don’t think the story is true.

“He’s a good guy, I just want to let you know that,” Cavanaugh said.

Authorities said they’re not sure what prompted the incident, but neighbors said Kainz and Persinger haven’t gotten along in the past.

The incident remains under investigation.