North County

Son Accused of Beating Mother 30+ Times With Copper Pipe: SDPD

Police arrested Theodore Guenther at a nearby park and booked him on charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with force likely to cause great bodily injury.

A North County woman clings to life after being struck in the head more than 30 times with a pipe, police said. The woman’s son was taken into custody, accused of attempted murder.

The incident happened in Mira Mesa around 7 p.m. The victim, described by San Diego police as 69-years-old, returned to her home on Capcano Road and found her 36-year-old son in the front yard.

When the son used a hose to squirt water on his mother, she told him to take his medication, according to police.

That’s when police say the man picked up two copper pipes and struck his mother in the head 10 times.

The woman ran inside to call 911 but the son took her mobile phone away, police said.

At that point, the son beat his mother approximately 25 more times in the head and then left the area, according to police.

The woman managed to call 911 from a house phone.

Police arrested Theodore Guenther at a nearby park and booked him on charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with force likely to cause great bodily injury.  

The victim has serious, life-threatening injuries, police said.

Capcano Road is located west of Black Mountain Road and south of the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve.

Ed. Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the woman's age as 81-years-old. We have since learned she is 69-years-old. The article has been corrected.

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