Teresa DeJesus Cruz Rubio, Glendale, Arizona mom decapitated by son, Alejandro Gonzalez hours before surprise 50th birthday party. Son had just been released from jail for a prior felony.
An Arizona woman set to celebrate her 50th birthday was found decapitated by family and friends hours after she failed to turn up to her own ‘surprise’ birthday party.
Teresa DeJesus Cruz Rubio, 49, of Glendale had hours earlier on Friday, September 27th, confirmed that she would meet friends and family at a location of what (unbeknownst to her) would be a surprise party Glendale police said, according to Fox 10.
Except Teresa a local teacher never made it to her own birthday party.
Define surprise birthday party?
After failing to show up, concerned family members went to Cruz Rubio’s home at around 8pm, only to fail to get any response when they knocked at Teresa’s door.
Concerned something was amiss, they came back with a locksmith and were able to gain entrance into the home, only to find Cruz Rubio’s decapitated body under a blanket. Along with her amputated head, the murdered woman was also found with multiple stab wounds, the Glendale Police Department said in a Facebook release.
Charged with her Teresa’s murder was Cruz Rubio’s son, Alejandro Gonzalez, 25., who lived at his mother’s apartment in Glendale.
Police found blood throughout the ‘small apartment’ where the shower was still running and a knife block in the kitchen sink with several knives.
‘One of the knives found had blood and hair on it, and it appeared someone had attempted to wash it of,’ Glendale Police Sgt. Bryan Hoskin told reporters.
‘The victim suffered a full decapitation and had numerous stab wounds too her abdomen, chest and arms,’ Hoskin said.
The mom’s murder came not less than 24 hours after Teresa’s son had been released from jail for serving another felony, police said.
Mom had just picked up her son hours earlier after release from jail
Cruz Rubio had picked up her son from jail and dropped him off at her home, according to AZCentral.
Along with decapitating his own mother, the son is also accused of having stolen his aunt’s SUV vehicle who the aunt had lent to her sister earlier that day to pick her son up. Cops say after slaying his mom, Gonzalez fled the crime scene in the SUV.
Video surveillance captured the suspected killer driving the SUV truck westbound at 4:52 p.m. while Gonzalez contacted family members using his mom’s phone a half hour later.
The SUV was reported as missing and Phoenix police discovered the car near 99th Avenue and I-10 at around 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 28.
Gonzalez was spotted in the SUV walking to and from the vehicle several times before he was arrested 50 minutes later.
Police found Gonzalez had blood over his body and clothes had ‘injuries’ to his hands and arms.
Gonzalez admitted to police that he stabbed his mother before claiming he cut her head off her body.
Suspect blames ‘black man’ for mom’s decapitation
The suspected killer told police he had used methamphetamines and there was a second suspect.
He told investigators that he had smoked methamphetamines with a Black man who was biking in the neighborhood, the outlet reported, citing a police report. He said the man ‘did something to his mom’ and then ‘had me stab her or something.’
Police have not found any evidence backing Gonzalez’s claim of a second suspect, but said the investigation is ongoing.
Gonzalez reportedly had ‘mental conditions‘ and was capable of killing his mother, according to court records.
Gonzalez was charged with first degree, premediated murder and felony theft of means of transportation.
He was booked into Maricopa County Jail on a $1 million, cash only bond.
Meanwhile, the family is raising money for Cruz Rubio’s funeral.
‘There [are] no words for the huge loss and hole left behind by the passing of Teresa Cruz,’ the online fundraiser says.
The Glendale Victim Advocacy Center is also assisting the family and officers help process the trauma ( do you suppose…?!) of what they saw.
