The man drives the vehicle into the family, killing the mother

Jason Mendez went into Melissa and Sean Deloatch and their six children after a heated argument between Mendez and Sean Deloatch, according to a statement from the Haverstraw Police Department.

Then he backed up and returned to the family, the police said.

"The vehicle hit with such force that it continued to enter the building, seriously damaging the front of the building," says the police release. "The driver then pulled back the vehicle and drove a second time forward, hitting Deloatch and his family."

All family members were injured and transported to a hospital. Melissa Deloatch, the 32-year-old mother, eventually died as a result of her injuries. The father, Sean Deloatch, and three of the couple's children were later transferred to another hospital where they were treated for serious but life-threatening injuries.

"It's a tragedy," said Wednesday Captain Martin Lund, affiliated with CNN, WLNY. "It does not happen very often, if at all, in our community, but it's a tragedy that's happened today."

Police said that during the first police intervention on the scene, Mendez had brandished a knife as he was coming out of his vehicle.

"The police asked him to drop the knife, he refused to do so, and the officer arrested him and took him to the ground and then we arrested him", said Lund.

Mendez was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder, among other things. Police said he was brought to justice on Wednesday and placed under the custody of the Rockland County Penal Center.

Attempts to reach a lawyer from Mendez were unsuccessful.

Anthony Tellez from CNN contributed to this report.