A 25-year-old man has been charged after police said he randomly stabbed an elderly woman to death while she was walking her dog in a Florida neighborhood. Authorities said the attack happened Thursday afternoon in Stuart's Southwood community and that the victim died after being taken to a hospital.
Police said deputies first responded to reports of a suspicious man going door to door and asking residents where a new bank was, even though there is no bank in the area. Shortly after those calls, neighbors reported that the same man was stabbing the woman, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff John Budensiek described the assault as a "random" and "extremely violent" attack. He said the victim was walking a small dog when she was attacked, and that a bystander tried to help but could not pull the suspect away, according to ABC News.
Deputies identified the suspect as Kersten Francilus, 25, and took him into custody at the scene. According to reports, a deputy already responding to the suspicious-person call arrived and found the suspect on top of the woman before ordering him to stop.
The sheriff said the suspect dropped the knife and surrendered when officers confronted him. An off-duty deputy also helped render aid, but the woman was later pronounced dead from severe injuries, Good Morning America reported.
The victim has not been publicly named, but she was described as being in her mid-70s. News reports said she lived in the neighborhood and was walking her dog in what residents described as a quiet area when the attack occurred.
Court and arrest reports later said Francilus was charged with second-degree murder, and one report said prosecutors were pursuing a first-degree murder charge at an initial court appearance. Officials said they had not found any known connection between the suspect and the victim.
Investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive, and police said the case remains under active review. The sheriff's office said interviews were conducted with people connected to the suspect after the arrest, as per People.
