Ham was the weapon of choice for a Perry Township woman who was charged with two counts of simple assault and one count of harassment after she hit and injured her husband with the piece of meat and threatened him with a kitchen knife early Sunday, police said.

According to a state police affidavit, Mary Alleyne Ecker, 43, of 1879 Airport Road, woke her husband at about 1 a.m. by choking him, then striking him in the chest with a piece of ham; she then allegedly held a kitchen knife to him, waved it and said "I'll cut your heart out."

Her husband, Linwood Y. Ecker, 49, was able to disarm her of the knife then left their home and called police, who arrested her at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Ecker had a mark on his chest from the ham and marks on his neck from the alleged choking, police said.

Mrs. Ecker was released on her own recognizance. A preliminary hearing is set for Monday at District Justice Ruth M. French's court in Mercer.