Man decapitates mother with axe in FL; Christian Jose Gomez charged

OLDSMAR, Florida — A Florida man was arrested and charged with murder for killing his mother and decapitating her with an axe, authorities said. 23-year-old Christian Jose Gomez admitted to officers that he had been planning the murder for two days before finally taking her life on New Year's Eve.

Gomez's mother, 48-year-old Maria Suarez-Cassagne, was struck his mother in the head with the axe. Gomez then decapitated her while she was on the floor of the garage, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualteri told WFLA news.

Gomez attempted to dispose of his mother's body and head in the trash can, but the body was too heavy to lift.

"He just left the body sitting there, next to the trash can, went into the garage, tried to clean up the scene a little bit," Gualteri said. "When he saw that wouldn't happen is when he left."

The mother's body was found by Gomez's 26-year-old brother, Mario Gomez. He was home at the time of the murder and heard the sounds, but assumed they were the sounds of his brother moving boxes.

Deputies arrived and found the body, then found Gomez several blocks away riding his bike. After a short chase he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Gomez is schizophrenic, although Sheriff Gualteri could not confirm that he had been taking his medication.

"[Cassagne] was a really good person," a relative told WFLA. "And Christian was normal until like age 20 — I think when he was diagnosed."

"It's so confusing what happened," she added. "It's scary."

Gomez confessed to the crime and told investigators he murdered her because she kept "nagging" him to put some boxes away in the attic.