Mother Found Stabbed To Death In Sylmar Home, Son Arrested
SYLMAR (CBSLA.com) — A 22-year-old man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stabbing his mother to death in her home, police said.
Officers detained the suspect, who was covered in blood, after receiving conflicting 911 calls about a mother and son attacking one another with a knife.
The first calls came in around 4:20 p.m. to report a woman being stabbed.
Paramedics pronounced 55-year-old Matilda Sanchez dead at the scene. She was found lying on the living room floor with multiple stab wounds, authorities said.
A large butcher knife was found near the victim's body, according to police.
Police believe the suspect may have called 911 to characterize his mother as the aggressor, though it is not yet known who made the initial calls.
"We have interviewed a witness, an uncle who lives in the home, who confirmed his nephew stabbed the woman," said Lieutenant Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Mission Detective Division. "It's especially tragic to deal with a scene where someone kills one's parent."
The incident is the third of its kind in Sylmar in the last two years, Lt. Vernon said.
Detectives interviewed two other men who were in the home at the time of the stabbing, as well as the victim's son.
Officers remembered responding to the home recently following reports of the victim's son setting fires and kicking down doors.
The suspect's name has not yet been released.
Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD's Mission Homicide Unit at (818) 838-9954.
