A Florida man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his mother to death at her home, WFLA-TV reports.
The attack happened around 2 p.m. Saturday in Frostproof, where the assailant, 21-year-old Emmanuel Espinoza, had come from Gainesville for a family gathering.
After the victim opened the door to greet her son, he allegedly stabbed her multiple times, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said, according to ABC Action News. The woman had been on the phone with a family member at the time and tried to run away, but Espinoza continued stabbing her until she died, according to WFLA-TV.
He is said to have contacted authorities right after the incident.
“As soon as he murdered her, he dialed 911 and immediately confessed to the 911 operators,” Judd said in video posted to Facebook.
The victim was identified as 46-year-old Elvia Espinoza, who worked as a teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School and was “well loved by the community,” Judd said.
“Her family, friends, students, and colleagues at the school and with Polk County Public Schools are in our prayers,” the sheriff’s office added.
Emmanuel Espinoza has been cooperative with police. He explained why he killed his mother, telling investigators: “She got on my nerves,” according to Judd. Espinoza allegedly said that he had wanted to kill her for years, even though he also said he really loved her.
A pre-med student at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Espinoza now faces a charge of first-degree murder and is detained in the Polk County Jail.
“It’s a very sad day with an inexplicable, vicious murder,” Judd said, according to WESH-TV.
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[Feature Photo: Emmanuel Espinoza/Polk County Sheriff’s Office]
