๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐, ๐๐๐๐–A man is accused of stabbing his mother to death with a machete during a domestic dispute in their home, according to police and sources.
26-year old Armel Crawford was arrested and charged with murder for allegedly killing 61-year-old Joanne Crawford, police said.
The mother was found with multiple stab wounds to her body at around 10:45 a.m., according to the NYPD.
Medics pronounced Joanne Crawford dead at the scene. Sources said the weapon was recovered in the home.
Police were called to the residence for two domestic violence incidents this year, but neither was violent, sources said.
The son was additionally charged with criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
โThe victim sustained 11 stab wounds,โ Queens Assistant District Attorney Lindsey Ruzza said in court. โA stab wound to the abdomen went through the liver and through the entire body. A knife was shoved down her throat which split her tongue in half and perforated the trachea.โ
Joanneโs first cousin, Barry Crawford, told reporters at the scene that Armel had a tense relationship with his mother over her job as a corrections officer, which she later retired from.
Her job kept her out of the house and allegedly led Armel to feel he didnโt have the โquality timeโ with his mother that he wanted while growing up, the cousin explained.
Barry believed a disagreement had sparked between the mother and her only son some time before the stabbing for not allowing him โto take care of his grandmother anymoreโ because he โdidnโt respect her.โ
โHe never was a troubled kid outside; he just had problems with her. I think his biggest problem with her is that she worked for corrections, she was a retired corrections officer, so she was never home, he felt that she never gave him the quality time that he desired,โ Barry said.
Barry said he started โpouring tearsโ after learning about Joanneโs death and remembered her as a giving fixture of the community who was always there for her loved ones.
โHer father and my mother are brothers and sisters. Weโve been close since we were little kids. Iโll love her and miss her forever. Iโll never understand this tragedy or what has happened,โ he said.
โThis tragedy will never be understood by this family because of who she is. She did everything for everyone who came in contact with her. Anyone who knew Joanne Crawford knew she was a loving person.โ