CARY, N.C. -- A Cary man pleaded guilty to killing his own mother, in their home, three years ago.
- Arnav Uppalapati pleaded guilty to killing his mother three years ago.
- He was in high school at the time.
- He was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison.
Arnav Uppalapati was a high schooler at the time of the murder.
He was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison after taking a plea deal in Wake County Court.
Officials say his mother, Nalili Tellaprolu, was found dead in the garage of their family home -- on Roland Glen Road in Cary. According to investigators, Uppalapati strangled her -- following an argument.
Family members were inside the courtroom for the hearing.
“I wanted to make sure that the father was going to be OK. The father was very emotional with me and we've had a lot of long talks and the sister has been the same way and I just want when they walk away from here for them to know that someone is still thinking about them and someone in the system cares about them,” said Howard Cummings, Assistant District Attorney.
The defense argued Uppalapati snapped and that his mother was strict.
Both sides say there had been tension between the two for a while.