PATERSON, N.J. (1010WINS) – A mother has been charged with murder after a stabbing at a New Jersey apartment left her 7-year-old son dead and his 17-year-old brother injured.
Iris Tolentino, 46, face charges of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, child endangerment, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and weapons counts, according to NorthJersey.com.
Paterson police responded to a home on N. 6th Street, near Clinton Street, around 7 a.m. Saturday, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Officers went to the third floor of the home and found the two boys with stab wounds, authorities said.
Both victims were rushed to St. Joseph's University Medical Center. The 7-year-old was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, while his brother was treated for his injuries and released.
Authorities said the 17-year-old had trapped his mother in the apartment's bathroom by holding the door closed until officers arrived.
Tolentino resisted arrest and caused minor injuries to two officers, authorities said. She was taken to St. Joseph's for a mental health screening and was admitted pending an evaluation.
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said the stabbing was an "act of domestic violence."
Friends and neighbors described the 7-year-old as a happy youngster who liked to play with his friends, who included the 8-year-old son of neighbor Ernesto Rodriguez.
"Just yesterday, they were playing catch with a football, right here on this sidewalk," he told NorthJersey.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
