Maryland Teen Allegedly Killed His Mom with Hammer But Lawyer Says 'He Is a Victim of Abuse'
A 16-year-old Maryland boy accused of killing his mother with a hammer has been charged as an adult with murder — but the teen’s defense attorney says the boy was pushed to his rage after allegedly enduring ongoing mental and physical abuse from his mother.
Andrew Zaragoza allegedly killed his mother, 56-year-old Donna Zaragoza, on July 20. The teen is being held without bond and has yet to enter pleas to the charges against him, which in addition to murder include one count each of assault and use of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure.
Officers were summoned to the Zaragoza home Thursday morning after receiving reports about a man threatening suicide, according to a statement from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Police entered the Bel Air home and found Donna dead from “apparent blunt force trauma.” Detectives allege a hammer was used in the attack.
Upstairs, Zaragoza was inside a bedroom, allegedly refusing orders from police to exit, the statement says. Investigators tried reasoning with the 16-year-old and eventually coaxed him into the hallway, where he was taken into custody.
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The statement says he was “found to have self-inflicted wounds” but does not indicate where the teen was injured. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
PEOPLE reached out to Zaragoza’s public defender, Tim Bahr, but got no response.
But Bahr told the Baltimore Sun his client has no prior arrests and was allegedly abused by the woman he’s accused of killing.
“He is a victim of abuse throughout his life … mental abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse,” Bahr told the paper, adding Zaragoza allegedly grew up around drugs and drug users.
