Cops: Brentwood Man Attempted Suicide After Suffocating Mother
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (AP) -- Police say a 69-year-old man tried to kill himself after suffocating his mother on Long Island.
Juan Gonzalez was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree murder.
Suffolk County police responded to a call at a home in Brentwood, where they found 98-year-old Teresa Astete dead in her bed.
1010 WINS' Terry Sheridan has more on the disturbing allegations
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Police told 1010 WINS' Terry Sheridan that Gonzalez suffocated Astete on Sunday in the home the two shared, and then stayed with the body on Friday, when he tried to commit suicide by taking pills and cutting himself.
When the suicide attempt failed, police said Gonzalez called his sister, who called 911. The responding officers then found the Astete's body.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reports on the crime that shook up a quiet neighborhood
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One neighbor was shocked at the allegations, saying he saw Gonzalez all the time and believed it was a loving mother-son relationship.
"I don't know if he did anything - all I know is this guy loved his mother," the neighbor told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall. "We see the guy almost every day. Every time I see him, I see him with his mother."
Other neighbors told Hall that Gonzalez was mentally ill.
Police said the mother was not in good health.
Gonzalez was treated at a nearby hospital and was scheduled for arraignment at a later, unspecified date.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
