An 18-year-old man is facing charges of first-degree murder after the fatal stabbing of an 81-year-old man at a Polk County assisted living facility. Moses Ojeda, the accused, was charged following the discovery of Patrick Benway's body, which, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, had been stabbed over 100 times. FOX 35 Orlando reported that Ojeda cited auditory hallucinations as the motive for the attack.
Ojeda, who had been previously Baker Acted six times this year, was just released from a mental health facility prior to being placed in the independent living facility where the crime occurred. ABC Action News obtained a statement from a mental health counselor who questioned the decision to quickly to release a mental patient with reported homicidal tendencies.
Janice Pepin, a resident at the group home, remembered Benway as a "very gentle, quiet, loving man," in an interview with WTSP. She recounted the unease of the night, hearing doors open and close, and waking to the reality that her new friend had been attacked viciously in his sleep. Pepin had recently lost her husband, making the tragedy an added burden during an already difficult time.
Amid questions about security measures at the facility, Sheriff Grady Judd disclosed that, despite precautions and warnings from Ojeda's mother to secure sharp objects, Ojeda was able to allegedly obtain a knife and commit the crime. "His mother told the people who owned the care facility, ‘you’ve got to hide the knives,’ and they did," Judd said, as reported by ABC Action News. The facility, owned by ET Home Care LLC, has not made a public statement but is reportedly cooperating with the ongoing investigation. Ojeda, who reportedly washed off the blood and attempted to clean the knife used in the attack, was apprehended at the scene when officers arrived.
