A 24-year-old man from west Harris County is now in custody after reportedly assaulting his mother with a hammer during an altercation at their home on Holly Way, near Barker Cypress. The incident left the 61-year-old woman in serious condition and occurred yesterday evening just past 6:15 p.m., according to Click2Houston.
Details suggest that the son became enraged and hit his mother multiple times with the hammer, then proceeded to quickly message a friend via a gaming app about his actions. The friend, who did not initially see the messages, responded around two hours later and managed to convince the man to finally call 911. "A male caller indicated that he was communicating with a friend using a gaming app and the friend had told him that he struck his mother with a hammer and she was in dire need of medical attention," said Major Ben Katrib from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in a statement obtained by KHOU.
Upon their arrival, deputies found the victim unconscious in her backyard with head injuries, and she was promptly airlifted to the hospital. Major Katrib conveyed that the suspect had attempted to conceal his crime. "All the messages were preserved and detectives have reviewed them," he stated, as per a report by KHOU. "Also interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, and it was -- we believe that based on the information we have -- that the suspect was even making attempts to conceal the crime. But luckily, his friend did the right thing and called 911 and we were able to respond in time."
As investigations continue, the Harris County District Attorney's Office is now to thoroughly review the case. No other individuals were present at the time of the attack, and it appears the mother and son duo were the only residents of the home. The identities of both the suspect and the victim have yet to be released. The suspect, who was arrested at the scene, now faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
