A 13-year-old Florida boy is accused of stabbing his own mother to death, just two weeks after she had given birth to a baby girl, WPLG-TV reports.
Authorities say that on Thursday evening, the boy called 911 and said he had murdered his mother. Police were dispatched around 11:30 p.m. to the family’s apartment on West 79th Place in Hialeah, a city near Miami.
Responding officers entered the apartment and located the body of the victim, 39-year-old Irina Garcia, in a bedroom.
She had been stabbed repeatedly and was lying next to a crib containing her 14-day-old daughter, who was not harmed physically.
Investigators believe the 13-year-old boy waited for his mom to fall asleep before killing her. Garcia’s husband, the boy’s stepfather, works as a truck driver and was out of town at the time of the attack, according to WSVN-TV.
The boy was subsequently detained and charged with second-degree murder. A judge determined there was probable cause to proceed with the charge.
Police said the case remains under investigation. The boy apologized and was calm when speaking with officers, and there was no record of previous law enforcement interactions with the family.
“We cannot say why this happened,” Hialeah Police Lt. Eddie Rodriguez told CBS News Miami. “From what I understand there were no other calls to the apartment and people here said he was a good kid and as far as we know there were no mental health issues. We just don’t know why he did this. This is heartbreaking, I never would have imagined something like this, a 13-year-old child taking his mother’s life. It is a sad story.”
Neighbor Marianella Lafaurie said the family seemed normal and she never saw them argue.
“This is a very calm area. This is the first time I have seen something like this happening. This is the first time I have seen this many police around,” Lafaurie told CBS News Miami.
The boy is in eighth grade at iMater Academy Middle School, where he was an honors student. Principal Teresa Santalo released a statement following the murder.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. As this is currently an ongoing police investigation, we are unable to provide any further information at this time. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family involved during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read, according to CBS News Miami.
The boy is being held in secure detention and was hospitalized after threatening to harm himself, according to WPLG-TV. A court hearing is scheduled for November 2.
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[Feature Photo: Irina Garcia/YouTube via WPLG]
