Texas Man Pushed Father Off Cliff, 'Laughed' As Victim Fell

A man pushed his father off a cliff after luring the victim there to look at a snake. The incident took place in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.

Police responded to the cliff after receiving a report of an assault. Upon arrival, the officers found the 78-year-old victim with several cuts and wounds on his body including a deep one on his forehead. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to the affidavit, the victim told the police that his son, identified as 49-year-old Gerald McCants, left home Sunday morning. He returned home a few minutes later and excitedly told him that he had found a rattlesnake. He then asked the father to come with him to have a look at the reptile. He then drove his father to a cliff which was less than a mile from their home.

When the victim approached the edge of the cliff while looking for the reptile, the accused pushed him off the cliff. The father fell roughly 40 feet down the cliff. The affidavit stated that as the victim fell down the cliff, his son was heard “laughing.”

The accused was taken into custody and investigation was ongoing to find out the motive in the case. Meanwhile, the accused was charged with injury to an elderly person and remained in jail with bail set at $20,000.