Miami Man Charged with Murder After Stabbing Visiting Mother in Brickell Apartment

Stefano Cremasco-Cicero, 36, allegedly stabbed his mother to death at his Miami apartment, then told police "I was defending myself." He faces second-degree murder charges.

Miami Man Kills Visiting Mother, Found Covered in Blood in Lobby

Stefano Cremasco-Cicero, 36, was arrested in Miami after allegedly stabbing his mother to death inside his Brickell apartment building in the early hours of Friday morning, Law & Crime reports. He has been charged with second-degree murder related to domestic violence, according to Miami-Dade County court records.

The victim, whose name and age have not been released, was visiting from Mexico and staying with her son at his apartment on Southwest Eighth Street. Cremasco-Cicero's wife — who was out of the country at the time — told investigators that the two had not been close since the defendant's parents divorced. She added that Cremasco-Cicero had been under stress due to the opening of a new restaurant.

Surveillance cameras inside the building captured the defendant and his mother entering an elevator together on Thursday night, returning to the building at around 10:30 p.m. At approximately 4:30 a.m. the following morning, footage reportedly showed Cremasco-Cicero stepping into an elevator holding a knife and covered in blood. He exited the elevator, dropped the knife, then picked it up again and went upstairs, authorities said.

Investigators believe he subsequently changed his clothes and left the building. About ten minutes later, he returned and sat on a couch in the lobby. He approached a food delivery worker and asked for her help — eventually calling 911 himself, but asking her to give the dispatcher the address. The woman noticed blood on him and attempted to return his phone, but he refused to take it back.

Officers from the Miami Police Department arrived to find Cremasco-Cicero with blood on his shoes, hands, and clothing. He told responding officers, "I was defending myself," according to court documents reviewed by local independent TV station WPLG.

Police entered the apartment and found a woman "lying on her side in a recovery position, fully clothed, covered in blood," with multiple apparent stab wounds. Medical personnel pronounced her dead at approximately 5:10 a.m.

Cremasco-Cicero was arrested and taken to Miami-Dade County Corrections. His bond and next court date have not yet been set.

Source: Law & Crime