Florida Teen Arrested For Killing Grandmother Had Tried To Strangle Her Before

A teen in Ocala, Florida, has been arrested in connection with the death of his grandmother.

The incident came to light in the wee hours of Friday after the 17-year-old boy rushed to a neighbor’s home and informed that his 77-year-old grandmother had fallen and that he had dragged her into the bedroom.

The neighbor immediately called 911. Paramedics arrived at the scene and pronounced the unidentified woman dead.

As part of the investigation, officers searched the home Sunday morning and found a bloody tissue in the kitchen. The investigators also spoke to another neighbor who said that he heard the teen scream "please don’t die, Nana," around 3 a.m. on Friday followed by loud groaning by the grandmother, an arrest report by Marion County Sheriff's Office stated, local daily newspaper Ocala Star-Banner reported.

On the basis of the evidence, the teen was detained for questioning. During the interrogation, he told the officers that he was angry with his grandmother and the two had an altercation Thursday night, following which he killed the victim.

The teen was taken into custody and charged with second-degree non-premeditated murder.

Investigation revealed the boy had autism and was possibly not taking his medications. In the past few months, the grandmother had called the Sheriff's Office twice, complaining the teen was not taking his medicines.

During the first call, she said the teen "was not taking his medications as prescribed and had become violent with her," the report stated.

On Nov. 21, she reported her grandson "made her pass out twice by trying to suffocate her with his hands while she was sleeping," the report added.

Meanwhile, a relative told the officers the victim was looking after the teen since he was a baby.

The weapon used in the crime was not known.

The incident comes months after a teen in North Carolina was arrested after he shot his 77-year-old grandmother to death. Officers arrived at the crime scene and found the woman with a gunshot wound to her torso. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses told the officers that 18-year-old Justin Penn had shot his grandmother. The teen was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after he confessed to killing his grandmother.