HOUSTON, TX – A Houston man is facing serious charges after authorities say he struck his 61-year-old mother in the head with a hammer and later confessed the act to a friend through an online gaming service.
Authorities allege 24-year-old Robert Babin assaulted his mother during a heated dispute at their Harris County home on Wednesday. According to court documents, Babin turned to a friend via a gaming platform shortly after the attack, describing the violence and expressing fear over potential prison time.
Investigators say Babin’s friend received a series of frantic messages in which Babin admitted assaulting his mother, said he was trying to get rid of evidence, and expressed worry about “ending up on Death Row.” The messages revealed that the victim was still alive but “barely breathing.”
It took nearly two hours before the friend noticed Babin’s disturbing account and convinced him to alert authorities, according to police. By the time officers arrived at the home on the 18700 block of Holly Way, just west of Houston, they found the woman outside in the backyard, suffering from serious head wounds and struggling to speak.
The woman was flown by helicopter to a Houston area hospital, where she reportedly remains in serious condition.
Upon their initial investigation, police say Babin claimed he had left while his mother was taking a nap and returned only to find first responders at the scene. However, investigators point to the series of messages purportedly sent by Babin as contradicting his earlier account.
Babin was taken into custody and has since been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. If convicted on the current charges, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Harris County Sheriff’s deputies are continuing their investigation and have not released further details about the events leading up to the confrontation. There has been no update on the mother’s condition as of Friday.
Babin remains held at the Harris County Jail pending further legal proceedings.