A Long
Island, New York, teenager with a history of psychiatric problems killed
his 15-year-old brother and brutally beat his mother – a respected
physician – into a coma over the weekend, police say.
Charles
Okonkwo Jr., 18, has been charged with assault on his mother, Chinwe
Okonkwo, 52, Saturday in Dix Hill, New York, but does not yet face
charges on the death of Bradley Okonkwo.
Mrs
Okonkwo, a Brooklyn doctor, has received the Congressional Leadership
Award and runs Hope Outreach Foundation, a nonprofit organization that
promote public health in Brooklyn and across the world. Arrested: Charles Okonkwo Jr., 18, who admitted to ‘hurting’ his mother
and younger brother, has a history of mental illness, his lawyer says
[Photo Credit: News 12]
Bradley Okonkwo, 15, was found dead.Dr Chinwe Okonkwo is in critical condition at a hospital suffering from head injuries [Photo Credit: Hope Outreach Foundation]
Charles
Okonkwo Sr., Mrs Okonkwo’s husband, returned home from a hospital stay
on Saturday night and found his son Bradley dead in his bedroom. His
wife was laying unconscious in a pool of blood next to her car in the
garage, Newsday reports.
Mrs
Okonkwo was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she remains in
critical condition. She suffered facial fractures and doctors have had
to relieve swelling on her brain.
Medical
examiners could not immediately determine Bradley Okonkwo’s cause of
death and are doing more tests to try to determine how he died.
Charles
Okonkwo Jr. was arrested Saturday night shortly after the attack was
discovered. He had fled the family home in his parents’ BMW X5 SUV, but
was spotted by police just a short distance away from the crime scene.
He admitted to ‘hurting’ his mother and little brother, authorities say.
In court
on Sunday, a defense said that Charles Okonkwo Jr. had a history of
mental illness, but didn’t elaborate on what sorts of problems he has.
Authorities also offered no motive for the alleged attack.
Members of
Long Island’s Nigerian immigrant community stopped by the Okonkwo house
on Sunday to pay their respects to the family.
‘This is very tragic. No one saw it coming,’ family friend Lawrence Monwe told Newsday.
‘This was the perfect family you wouldn’t expect it to happen to.’
The attack happened at the family Dix Hills home on Long Island, New
York. The father came home and found his younger son dead and his wife
gravely injured [Photo Credit: News 12]
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