BARTOW, Fla. (TCN) —Â An 18-year-old man whose mother moved him into a group home and told staffers to hide the knives is in custody on suspicion of fatally stabbing his elderly roommate.
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, on the afternoon of May 18, Bartow Police responded to a group home on Blue Bird Avenue to a report of an injured person. At the scene, officers found 81-year-old Patrick Benway deceased.
Judd said Benway had been stabbed at least 113 times in what he described as a “violent death.”
Investigators identified Moses Ojeda, the victim’s roommate, as the primary suspect. Ojeda, who had been Baker Acted six times in 2025, moved into the group home just five hours before allegedly stabbing Benway while he was sleeping.Â
The Baker Act is a Florida law that “enables families and loved ones to provide emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness and who are unable to determine their needs for treatment.”
According to Judd, when asked why he stabbed Benway so many times, Ojeda said the knife wasn’t very sharp. Ojeda allegedly claimed that he heard voices in his head telling him to kill Benway. During the stabbing, Benway reportedly woke up and said, “Why would you want to do this to me?” and Ojeda responded, “I just do.”
According to the sheriff, deputies asked the suspect if he regretted the incident, and Ojeda replied, “I live my life with no regrets.” The suspect purportedly added that Benway was a good guy, and he “just had to do what he had to do.” There were allegedly no disputes prior to the stabbing.
The sheriff’s office said Ojeda’s mother had dropped her son off at the care facility and told employees to hide the knives. Staffers concealed them, but Ojeda found them anyway.
Per Judd, Ojeda had allegedly committed domestic battery and violence against his mother in the past, but she “went above and beyond to help him” even though she was “afraid” of him.
Following the stabbing, Ojeda reportedly cleaned up himself and the knife and replaced the weapon in the butcher block. According to the sheriff’s office, Ojeda removed his blood-covered clothes and placed them in a laundry basket. The suspect allegedly closed the victim’s door and turned off the light. The group home later became concerned when Benway failed to show up for lunch the following day. Investigators suspect Benway had been deceased for approximately 12 hours by the time police responded and found him.
Ojeda was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He remains held in the Polk County Jail.
In a statement, Judd said, “This was a senseless and tragic act of violence. Our detectives, forensic investigators, and Bartow Police Department officers worked diligently to take Ojeda into custody and gather evidence to hold him accountable.”
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