A 48-year-old mother admitted to stabbing her 11-year-old son to death inside of a Los Angeles-area hotel room, authorities allege.
The child was found dead inside a room in a La Quinta Inn close to John Wayne Airport around 9:30 am on Wednesday. The suspect called 911, Santa Ana Police Department Officer Natalie Garcia told the media.
“During the 911 call, it’s believed that the mother stated that she had killed her son and that she had ingested some sort of substance,” Officer Garcia said. The officer said that when police arrived at the room, they found the boy lying on a bed with multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
One guest told KTLA what she heard just prior to the police arriving. “We heard the banging and something hit the wall. It sounded like something hit the floor really hard, and we heard like a short yell but that was it,” Alyssah Witherell said.
The mother was rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to Santa Ana jail. Garcia said that investigators believe she took nearly 25 over-the-counter pills in an attempt to take her own life. She was last reported to be in a stable condition.
Detectives have retrieved a murder weapon from the scene, Garcia added. A motive for the crime has not been revealed. The case is being described as a homicide investigation.
ABC Los Angeles reports that the mother and her son are both from Irvine, California, and had been living in the hotel for around a month. Her identity and the identity of her child have not been made public.
In a separate interview with the San Bernardino County Sun, Alyssah Witherall said that she initially didn’t think anything of the yelling she heard.
“We heard some banging and didn’t think that was anything abnormal. Kids yell, and I didn’t think anything of it, and I really wish I would have. They have so many children that stay here,” Witherall said.
She said that the only surveillance cameras in the hotel are in the lobby.
The Sun’s report mentions that a makeshift memorial has been set up outside of the hotel featuring a white cross, flowers and a teddy bear in the center.
Anyone with information regarding the homicide is asked to contact the Santa Ana police at 714-245-8665.
The Independent contacted the Orange County Fire Authority and the Santa Ana Police Department for information.
