A retired New Jersey teacher was killed in Florida by her son, who was out on parole at the time, police said.
Anthony Caruso was arrested and charged with the murder of his mother, Elizabeth Caruso, after a standoff with police and a SWAT team over the weekend, NJ Advance Media reported. Elizabeth was found dead inside a trash chute of her son’s apartment building in Miami Beach on Sunday, during a welfare check requested by her son-in-law.
When authorities arrived at the residence on Washington Avenue, they discovered a trail of blood, leading from the door of Caruso’s seventh-floor apartment to the trash room across from his unit.
“Officers opened the door to the trash room and saw blood on the walls and floor surrounding the trash chute,” according to a police report, cited by CBS News. “On the first floor of the building, where the chute ends, the trash room was locked. Miami Beach Fire Rescue was called in to breach the door.”
Inside, they found Elizabeth with her neck “severely injured nearly to the point of decapitation,” the report continued. She also had broken bones in her head, face, arms and hands, authorities said.
Caruso, meanwhile, barricaded himself inside his apartment, sparking an hours-long standoff with law enforcement. The chaos prompted a response from A SWAT team and Hostage Negotiation Unit as well as from local police departments.
After several hours of failed negotiations, officers used a K9 and Taser to subdue Caruso, who was then treated at Mount Sinai Hospital for a bite wound to his arm. He was ordered held without bond during an initial court appearance on Monday, CBS reported.
Police said Elizabeth Caruso had traveled to Florida to check in on her son, who has a history of mental health issues. He was on probation at the time of the killings, with previous charges of aggravated assault, arson and criminal mischief.
Caruso was a retired special education teacher of young students in the New Milford School District.
Superintendent of Schools Peter Galasso in a statement to Patch on Tuesday said the community has been left devastated by the loss of Elizabeth.
“Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Caruso dedicated 25 years to the New Milford Public School District, serving as a preschool special education teacher,” he said in a statement. “She retired in 2022, leaving behind a legacy of respect from colleagues and adoration from the countless students and families she served. Our thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family.
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