A Queens man has been arrested after authorities say he fatally stabbed his mother, a retired corrections officer, inside the home they shared in what police and relatives described as a domestic violence incident.
The NYPD said 26-year-old Armel Crawford was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the death of 61-year-old Joanne Crawford at their residence on Nameoke Avenue in Far Rockaway.
Officers found Joanne, who had retired from the corrections field, suffering from multiple stab wounds inside the home at about 10:40 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Armel was arrested later Tuesday night and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to police.
At the scene, Joanne’s first cousin, Barry Crawford, told reporters that Armel’s relationship with his mother had long been strained, in part because of her former career as a corrections officer.
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Barry said the job often kept Joanne away from home, which he believed left Armel feeling he had been deprived of the “quality time” he wanted with her while he was growing up.
He also said he believed tensions may have escalated after a dispute involving Armel’s grandmother, claiming Joanne no longer wanted him “to take care of his grandmother anymore” because he “didn’t respect her.”
“He never was a troubled kid outside; he just had problems with her. I think his biggest problem with her is that she worked for corrections, she was a retired corrections officer, so she was never home … he felt that she never gave him the quality time that he desired,” Barry said.
Police would not confirm Armel and Joanne’s relationship to each other on Tuesday night.
Barry said he started “pouring tears” after learning about Joanne’s death and remembered her as a giving fixture of the community who was always there for her loved ones.
“Her father and my mother are brothers and sisters. We’ve been close since we were little kids. I’ll love her and miss her forever. I’ll never understand this tragedy or what has happened,” he said.
“This tragedy will never be understood by this family because of who she is. She did everything for everyone who came in contact with her. Anyone who knew Joanne Crawford knew she was a loving person.”
