Since the dawn of 2025, the First Coast has witnessed a disturbing trend: six homicides involving young individuals allegedly taking the lives of their own parents.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A troubling pattern of violence has emerged on the First Coast, where six tragic incidents have been reported this year, all involving teens or young adults accused of killing a parent.
The grim sequence began on February 6, 2025, when 20-year-old Adiel Gonzalez was charged with the brutal beating of his mother, resulting in her death, within their Arlington apartment. Just days later, on February 10, Eric Cobb, a former college basketball player, allegedly shot and killed his mother in their Durkeeville residence.
Another shocking incident occurred on June 21, 2025, when 18-year-old Larry Baldwin, Jr. was apprehended after reportedly shooting and killing both his father and a close friend at a shopping center on Baymeadows Road.
On August 4, 2025, a case emerged that captured national attention.
During a 911 call, Trevor Lee poignantly asked the dispatcher, “I was going to ask if you could pray for me, ma’am.”
Investigators said the 14-year-old shot and killed his parents in Clay County.
Later in August, Hector Ochoa was arrested for stabbing his mother in Jacksonville. Lastly, on December 2, 2025, 17-year-old Syr Williams was accused of stabbing his father to death at a home on the Westside.
“I can tell you that what we’re finding with these cases is oftentimes they’re in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, they are in families that are experiencing domestic violence, they are in rural communities often that don’t have the same type of access as urban communities,” Dr. Christine Cauffield, CEO of LSF Health Systems, said.
Dr. Cauffield said this type of violence is more common than people might realize. She said one in three children will be aggressive towards their parents, and one in 10 will turn violent towards their parents.
But there is not one specific reason why it occurs.
Dr. Cauffield said it could be a learned behavior from watching domestic violence in their homes, or it could be mental illness.
“In the cases that have been recent, the ages range from 15, 17, 20, and that is generally the first time with the disorder of schizophrenia, for example, that an individual typically has their first psychotic break, so they may be having hallucinations, command hallucinations, and if they’re untreated and they’re not on medication, for example, this can really exacerbate that potential,” Dr. Cauffield explained.
At least three of the suspects in these homicides have been ruled incompetent by the court and were ordered to a state-run mental health facility.
Dr. Cauffield said early intervention is important to prevent future violence. If a parent notices their child is becoming more aggressive, such as punching or hitting things, making threatening statements, or if they feel like they are walking on eggshells around their child, these could be signs that they are not ok and it is time to get help.
“It is a normal reaction for parents to really want to protect their child. They love their child, but they’re afraid of their child, and so they’re torn as to what to do. There’s a lot of self-blame for parents that they’ve caused it, but it’s OK to reach out for help. In fact, it’s critical for the entire family, including your child that obviously is struggling,” Dr. Cauffield said.
Dr. Cauffield added another contributing factor is access to weapons inside the home. She stressed all guns and weapons should be locked away and out of reach of your children.
LSF Health Systems provides access to mental health resources. To learn more, visit their website or call their 24/7 access to care line at (877)-229-9098.
