A Florida man has been charged with first-degree murder after police say he decapitated his mother with an axe on New Years Eve.
Christian Jose Gomez of Oldsmar allegedly decapitated his mother, 48-year-old Maria Suarez-Cassagne because he didn't want to complete his chores, reports WFLA.
Pinellas County police found the victim at 7:24pm on Wednesday. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said that Gomez killed his mother and then dragged the body to the garage outside the home. Allegedly, Gomez had been planning the murder for two days.
The 23-year-old admitted to putting his mother's head in a garbage can, and said he tried to put the body in the trash too, but it was too heavy. Authorities said the mother asked Gomez to put boxes in the attic, and he became angry over what he considered "nagging."
Suarez-Cassagne's older son, Mario, was home at the time of the attack, but thought the noises he heard were his brother putting the boxes away.
"He went to the garage, he found an axe laying on the floor," Sheriff Gualtieri said of Mario's actions that tragic evening.
"He found a blood trail and he followed that outside to the side of the house, and he went outside; he found his mother laying there on the ground next to the trash can, and unfortunately his mother has been decapitated, so he immediately called the sheriff's office."
Police found Gomez riding his bike several blocks away from the home. He tried to flee but was apprehended by deputies.
A relative expressed shock over the murder.
"She was a really good mother, and Christian was normal until like age 20-- I think when he was diagnosed," the family member told NBC News. "It's so confusing what happened. It's scary."
Gualtieri confirmed that Gomez was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been prescribed medication. It is unclear if he was on his medication at the time of the attack.
Gomez had prior arrests for loitering, prowling, resisting an officer, and disorderly conduct.
