LOS ANGELES, CA – A Santa Monica man was arrested Saturday morning after allegedly stabbing his mother to death in their shared home, police said.
Officers responded to an emergency call at approximately 5:30 a.m. on November 16 at an apartment on the 1100 block of 12th Street. According to authorities, the caller reported that his brother had stabbed their mother multiple times.
Upon arrival, officers discovered an elderly woman with several stab wounds to her upper body. She was transported to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The suspect, identified as 43-year-old Vernon Jeremiah Harris, was taken into custody at the scene. Police stated that Harris resided in the apartment with his mother and two older brothers. While Harris has no prior criminal history, authorities noted that he may have physical and developmental disabilities.
The call to police was made by one of Harris’s brothers, who acts as a caregiver for both Harris and their mother. According to police, the brother was awakened by his mother’s cries for help and entered her bedroom, where he found Harris standing over her with a knife. A third brother was not at home during the incident, as he was at work.
Harris was arrested and booked into the Los Angeles County Jail. Authorities have not yet disclosed a possible motive or further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing as the community grapples with the tragedy of a violent act that unfolded within a family’s home early on a quiet Saturday morning.
