An Escondido man accused of killing his mother with a claw hammer appeared in court for a preliminary hearing in Vista Tuesday.
One of the first responders, Thomas Hankins, a Fire Captain with the Escondido Fire Department, said they questioned the mental condition of the defendant.
"He didn't seem all there," said Hankins. "His eyes were bugged out. He was talking incoherently and didn't make much sense."
David McGee, 25, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in connection with the death of his mother.
He was booked on a first-degree murder charge in February. He is suspected of killing his mother and then trying to hurt himself, according to the Escondido Police Department.
McGee's mother, 55-year-old Rebecca Apodaca was found dead on Feb. 1 inside a home on North Hickory Street, between E Washington Avenue and Valley Parkway.
Police found the victim with major trauma to her head and a hammer on the table next to her bed. McGee was lying naked, half in and half out, of the bathroom when first responders arrived.
Local
There was water coming out from under the bathroom door, soaking the floor, according to first responders.
Investigators stated the victim's injuries were consistent with a homicide.
McGee faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life.
He will be in court again on Sept. 26.
