Bridgewater Son Indicted For Murdering Mom

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A Bridgewater man was indicted for the murder of his mother and attempted murder of his father inside their Washington Valley Road home last year, according to mycentraljersey.com.

Michael Litwornia, 27, of the Martinsville section of Bridgewater Township had stabbed both his mother Helen and father Steve on April 18, 2017.

He was indicted on one count of murder and attempted murder on Monday when he appeared before Superior Court Judge Peter Tober, according to mycentraljersey.com.

The tragic incident occurred at around 8:20 p.m. on April 18, when Michael Litwornia's 61-year-old father called 911. When police arrived they found the father and owner of the Washington Valley Road home suffering from severe stab wounds and lacerations, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson said.

Police also found his 61-year-old mother Helen inside the home, who was also suffering from multiple stab wounds and lacerations. She was evacuated from the home and given lifesaving measures. However, she was later declared dead upon the arrival of medics. (See Related: Bridgewater Mom Allegedly Killed By Son Was 'Beautiful, Loving, Caring,' Report Says)

Bridgewater officers tried to make contact with Michael Litwornia, who had barricaded himself within the house. At the same time, additional officers established a perimeter of the home and began to evacuate/shelter in place local residents within the operational perimeter.

The Somerset County SWAT and hostage/crisis negotiators, detectives from the Bridgewater Township Police Department, along with detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit, the Crime Scene Investigations and Forensics Unit and the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office responded as well.

Hostage/crisis negotiators attempted to talk with Michael Litwornia, who refused to communicate. A mechanical robot was then sent into the home, which found Litwornia lying on a couch, Robertson said.

At around 11 p.m. when SWAT members entered the home, Litwornia tried to grab a sharp instrument but was quickly taken down by SWAT members. Litwornia was found to have self-inflicted wounds to his body and was quickly transported to an area hospital for emergency treatment, Robertson said.

Litwornia's father was transported to an area trauma center where he underwent emergency surgery.

Helen's coworkers later said that Helen and Steve struggled to deal with their son's overwhelming mental problems. He had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and had become obsessive-compulsive. Things got worse after he stopped taking his medication, according to mycentraljersey.com.

• See Related: Accused Bridgewater Stabber ID'd; Police Release Details

(Image via Somerset County Prosecutor's Office: Michael Litwornia, 27, of the Martinsville section of Bridgewater Township)

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