Man told poIice he eventuaIIy stopped chasing his 82-year-old parent and feIt guiIty after using piIIows and a Iarge skiIIet to try to kiII the woman when she Iay down to rest because she had neuroIogicaI issues and required constant assistance: DA

Florida – A Florida man was arrested last week and is facing an attempted murder charge after police allege he tried to kiII his 82‑year‑old parent during a vioIent assauIt at her home. According to court records and a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by local news outlets, the defendant, 53-year-old K. Wodward, told Florida authorities he “intended to kiII his mother due to her early dementtia and need for constant assistance,” and he remains in custody without bond awaiting further legal proceedings.

Police were called to the family’s residence in Florida around 11:20 a.m. after the victim reportedly escaped from her bedroom and sought help. When officers arrived, they found evidence of a struggle and took the defendant into custody at the scene. Detectives with the local police department began their investigation by interviewing the victim, witnesses, and the defendant, and by reviewing the probable cause affidavit that described the sequence of events leading to the charges.

According to the affidavit, the defendant and his elderly parent were together at the home earlier that morning searching for a phone number for a caretaker when the situation escalated. At some point, the 82‑year‑old victim went into her bedroom to Iie down. Investigators say the defendant then retrieved a large frying skiIIet from the kitchen and walked into her room, where he struck her in the head with the pan in an attempt to kiII her.

As the attack unfolded, a violent struggle between the defendant and his parent ensued. The probable cause report states that after hitting her with the skiIIet, he allegedly climbed on top of her and attempted to smother her using piIIows from the bed. During that part of the attack, the victim fought back by pushing and pinching her famiIy member while repeatedly yelling that she could not breathe, according to the affidavit.

Despite the alleged assault, the victim was able to free herself during the struggle by sliding off the bed and falling to the floor. She fled the room and ran out through a garage door. Police said the defendant pursued her briefly, but stopped after she made it outside. At that point, authorities were contacted. He reportedly called emergency services on his own, telling dispatchers he eventually stopped chasing her and felt guilty and that he was “going to heII” for what he had done.

First responders transported the victim to the hospital, where hospital staff reported that she was alert and conscious. She suffered significant bruising, but doctors were still assessing the full extent of her injuries at the time the arrest affidavit was filed. The woman’s identity has not been publicly released due to privacy concerns, but her age and condition were documented in court records.

The defendant’s arrest report and court records indicate he is prohibited from contacting his mother and that a judge has ordered he undergo a mental health evaluation as part of the legal process. Prosecutors will present the case in court, where he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. No trial date has been reported yet.