A Texas woman, aged 36, was apprehended this week after a standoff with a SWAT team. The woman, identified as Lul N. Top, is facing charges of abusing her spouse and subjecting her children to physical and emotional torment, including an alleged attempt to place one of her children in a hot oven. Top was arrested on Monday and is facing six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to court documents.
The Allen Police Department’s SWAT team responded to a call at approximately 8:53 a.m. on Feb. 12. The team was dispatched to a residence on the 1500 block of Tanglewood Drive to execute a search warrant and serve Top with the six aggravated assault warrants. Upon their arrival, Top retreated into the attic of her residence and barricaded herself inside. Despite attempts to negotiate with her, she refused to cooperate. After an hour of unsuccessful negotiation, chemical agents were deployed, and Top surrendered at around 10:50 a.m.
Further details about the charges against Top were revealed in a probable cause affidavit. The investigation into Top’s alleged abuse began on Jan. 8, 2024, when police were called to the home where she and her family had resided for about a year. Top is accused of using a piece of wood from a door frame to repeatedly strike her husband in front of their six children, causing visible injuries. Following this incident, Child Protective Services removed the children from the home.
Further allegations of abuse surfaced during interviews with Top’s children. The most shocking claim was that Top had attempted to put her 3-year-old child in a hot oven. The 3-year-old child told investigators that Top had tried to put her in the oven, which was hot. This account was corroborated by the child’s 4-year-old sibling.
According to a local news report, it was only after Top’s 10-year-old child intervened and physically fought Top to protect the toddler that Top eventually backed down. Investigators found that both the 3- and 4-year-old children had scars resembling knife cuts on their bodies. Both children confirmed that Top had used a knife to inflict these injuries.
Further disturbing allegations were made by the 6-year-old child, who claimed that Top had threatened to kill everyone with a cleaver. The child also stated that Top drank heavily and would force the children to search for alcohol. If they failed to find any, Top would allegedly threaten to cut off their hands and fingers. The 6-year-old also mentioned the oven incident, stating that Top had instructed them to turn on the oven to punish the 3-year-old for not finding alcohol. The children reportedly hid knives in the house to prevent Top from threatening them.
Chemical tests revealed that all six of Top’s children tested positive for cocaine. Following her arrest, Top was taken to the Collin County Jail, where she is currently being held on a $600,000 bond. During her interview with the police, Top denied all allegations of child abuse.