to choke someone, putting one's hand on their throat (see Molina)
Alonso de Molina:
quechmatelhuia. nicte. (pret. onictequechmatelhui.) ahogar algo a otro, ponendo las manos enlos gaznates. Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, 1571, part 2, Nahuatl to Spanish, f. 88r. col. 2. Thanks to Joe Campbell for providing the transcription.