A Texas teenager took responsibility for the murder of his stepfather, refusing to let his mother take the blame for the crime. Raymundo Morales, 19, has been charged with murder and assaulting a family member by impeding their breath after allegedly stabbing Angel Martin Herrera, 40, during a heated confrontation at a family gathering.
Police were called to the El Paso residence in the early hours of January 12, where they found Herrera with a stab wound to the neck. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
This was not the first police visit to the address that night. Court documents obtained by KTSM revealed that officers had responded to a call about a verbal argument at the same residence around 3:30 a.m. At that time, no one was injured, and the officers left. They were called back approximately 30 minutes later to find Herrera bleeding from his injury, told Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
A witness at the gathering, which reportedly involved heavy alcohol consumption, told police that Morales had become angry and assaulted her by choking and hitting her. Herrera confronted Morales about his violent behavior, leading to the fatal altercation. Witnesses stated that Morales grabbed a knife and stabbed Herrera in the left side of the neck.
When police arrived for the second time, Morales’ mother initially claimed responsibility for the stabbing, telling officers she had wielded the knife. However, multiple witnesses contradicted her account, stating they had seen Morales commit the attack. She later recanted her statement. Morales himself confessed to the crime, reportedly saying, “I killed my stepdad” after learning that his mother had tried to take the blame.
Morales told police he attacked Herrera because he believed his stepfather had pushed his mother. However, witnesses at the scene denied seeing Herrera act violently toward anyone at the gathering.
Morales is now facing charges of murder and assaulting a family member by impeding their breath. He is being held at the El Paso County Detention Center on a $700,000 bond. The incident has left the family and community grappling with the aftermath of the tragic and violent events.