Unemployed New Jersey Man Accused Of Murdering His Elderly Mother With Fireplace Poker

A man allegedly used a fireplace poker to kill his 79-year-old mother at the New Jersey home they shared, police said.

On July 24, officers in Dumont arrested Patrick Maupai, 40, and charged him with first-degree murder and weapons offenses, NorthJersey.com reported.

Shortly before midnight the previous evening, Patrick Maupai, who was reportedly unemployed, phoned 911 to report the attack on his mother, Linda Maupai, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

When officers arrived, the suspect was on the phone in the home’s front yard.

Officers found the victim lying in the living room along with a bent poker, according to Daily Voice.

Linda Maupin suffered multiple lacerations on her face and she was pronounced dead around an hour later at an area hospital, police said.

One woman who lives near the crime scene said she was “reeling” after learning the news about her murdered neighbor.

“This doesn't happen in Dumont,” Jean Nichols told NorthJersey.com. “I bought this house new 55 years ago, and this community has been wonderful to live in. There has never been any crime here.”