New Jersey Man Charged with ‘Fatally’ Stabbing His Mom, 61, in the Chest ‘While She Slept’

Robert Parody, 25, was charged with first-degree murder and a related weapons offense

A New Jersey man has been charged with "fatally" stabbing his mother to death in her sleep.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) shared in a press release on Monday, June 3 that Robert Parody, 25, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and a related weapons offense in the death of his 61-year-old mother Loretta Parody.

Officials said the Howell Township Police Department responded to a report of a stabbing taking place on Porter Road, around 34 miles east of Trenton, New Jersey, at 1:30 a.m.

When officers arrived on the scene, they said they found Loretta wounded. She was then taken to a nearby hospital for “emergency treatment,” where she was later pronounced dead. Robert was arrested by officers on the scene “without incident,” added the release.

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“An investigation involving members of the Major Crimes Bureau and the Howell Township Police Department revealed that Robert Parody had entered his mother’s bedroom and stabbed her in the chest while she slept,” the MCPO said in its release.

Robert is currently being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) while he awaits a “detention hearing,” according to the release.

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The Asbury Park Press (APP) reported that Robert had lived at the home with his 60-year-old father and a 28-year-old woman, though it is unknown whether they had been present at the home at the time.

Loretta’s friends identified her to the outlet as a real estate agent at the Century 21 office in Brick Township, New Jersey.

Rosa Cavallaro, who worked with Loretta, told APP, “There was no other way to describe her than an angel. She was a great person and she’s going to be missed.”

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Photos and video captured by the APP showed the two-floor home cordoned off with yellow police tape with several police vehicles parked alongside the home’s driveway. Investigators could be seen walking inside and out of the home.

The MCPO said the incident is still under investigation and that anyone with information can contact MCPO detectives at 800-533-7443 or Howell Township Police at 732-938-4111.

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Read the original article on People.