By Ileana Morales and Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writers
Monday, October 11, 2010
TAMPA — A Tampa man stabbed his 71-year-old mother 18 times late Sunday and then stabbed the house cat, deputies said. The woman survived; the cat did not.
Steven Donald Carr, 47, is charged with a felony for attempted murder and animal cruelty.
Carr's mother, Swanniee Squier, was taken to a local hospital, where she is expected to recover, deputies said.
They say the son used three knives to stab Squier in the torso and hands at their home, 9377 Eden Drive, a Sheriff's Office report states. He admitted to stabbing her, the report states.
Records show Carr was charged with domestic violence battery in 2003. That charge was dropped.
Carr's ex-mother-in-law, Marie Alaimo, said Carr had mental health issues and sometimes did not take his medication.
Her daughter, Rosanne, divorced Carr about 13 years ago, Alaimo said. He never was violent with Rosanne, but she was afraid of him and changed the locks as soon as he moved out, the mother-in-law said.
"He was real deep into Revelations," Alaimo said. "It was kind of scary."
Carr suffered from manic depression but would often change out his medication with Tic Tacs, Alaimo said.
Her daughter was married to Carr for about five years. The two had no children, Alaimo said.
Carr adored his mother, Alaimo said.
"He put her on a pedestal," she said.
Alaimo said she's glad her daughter, who is now remarried, got a divorce.
"When he had it all together, he was wonderful," she said. "She took it quite hard because she loved him."