PALMDALE, Calif. - A 29-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his grandmother in Palmdale in an attack that also left his mother wounded was behind bars today in lieu of a $2 million bond, authorities said.
Richard Flores was booked into a Palmdale jail Thursday afternoon on suspicion of murder following the double stabbing, authorities said.
Deputies responding to the attack in the 37000 block of Springfield Street encountered Flores walking down the street about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, said Deputy Trina Schrader of the Sheriff's Information Bureau. He was covered in blood.
Flores told deputies that he was involved in the incident they were responding to, Schrader said.
As the deputies arrived at the location, they made contact with the surviving victim, the suspect's mother, who had visible trauma to her upper body, according to Schrader. She took the deputies inside the residence to the suspect's grandmother, who had significant trauma to her upper body, she said.
Maria Valenzuela, 82, of Palmdale died at the scene, said coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter.
The surviving woman was taken to a hospital, where she was in stable condition, Schrader said.
A possible weapon was recovered at the location but authorities did not specify what it was. Authorities also didn't disclose a motive.
Flores' first court appearance is slated for 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Antelope Valley Municipal Court, according to online Sheriff's inmate records.