South Bay Man Who Admitted To Killing Mother Is Sentenced

REDONDO BEACH, CA — A man who fatally stabbed his 69-year-old mother, telling Torrance police he "couldn't stand her," pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and was immediately sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Rudy DeCasas, 52, repeatedly stabbed his mother, Rafaela, on Sept. 20, 2014, inside his apartment in the 3800 block of West 226th Street. Police said he tried to kill himself by slashing his own throat after the attack, but he survived.

Authorities said Rafaela DeCasas had been stabbed 19 times. Rudy DeCasas' wife found the woman's body in a bedroom when she returned home from work, authorities said.

During a 2015 preliminary hearing, a Torrance police officer testified that Rudy DeCasas confessed to the stabbing, saying, "I just couldn't stand her anymore."

Neighbors told the Daily Breeze that DeCasas and his brother had been caring for their mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

City News Service