WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A man has been arrested after an 81-year-old deaf woman was stabbed in her front yard, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies said.
Deputies said the elderly woman was gardening when Branden Saintard, 22, approached her with a knife.
According to witnesses, Saintard stabbed the woman repeatedly before running away. The woman's son-in-law says he grabbed a crowbar and trailed after Saintard in his van until deputies arrived.
Saintard's father, Frantz Saintard, said the knife belonged to his roommate and was stored in their kitchen. He told deputies that his son had been "acting crazy" for three months. Deputies said his father didn't seem surprised about the incident.
Deputies said Saintard confessed to the stabbing.
"This morning I woke up wanting to prove I'm God for my girl," he told deputies, according to a probable cause affidavit. "I left my house with a knife to kill the first person I saw."
According to deputies, Saintard also confessed to trying to stab the victim's daughter. He described her as "another Spanish woman."
Deputies said Saintard showed no remorse for his actions.
Saintard faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery.
The woman suffered seven stab wounds to her abdomen, chest and back. She needed surgery, but survived.