MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A Martin County man is in custody after, deputies say, he beat his mother to death before the New Year.
Detectives said at 11:14 p.m. on Dec. 30, a text was sent from a home on Railway Avenue in Port Salerno. Addressed to a neighbors phone, it said: “I need your help.”
The neighbor didn’t see the text until the next morning, and got no reply when she responded. Using a key, the neighbor eventually entered the home, and found the body of 58-year-old Christina Diorio.
“It was apparent there were significant injuries to the victim indicating it was a homicide," Martin County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Dan DuLac said.
Also in the home was Diorio’s son, 34 year-old Darren Pouncey.
Investigators said he had blood on his hands, and asked the neighbor for a gun who refused and called 911.
“In speaking with the family, there was concerns about treatment of the mother by the son, however there was no documented domestic violence incidents or anything like that we have come across at this point," said DuLac.
Pouncey was arrested on New Year’s Eve on a warrant for an unrelated DUI pre-trial violation.
The murder charges were filed this week. Investigators said no weapon was found and Pouncey likely beat his mother to death.
“He did not tell us any reason why. He would not explain or admit that he had done it," said DuLac.
Jimmy Smith lives around the corner from Diorio, and had done landscaping work for the victim.
“She’ll walk her dogs up and down the sidewalk. You see her in the morning, you see her in the evening,” he said. “She always had that friendly smile. So I’m heartbroken to hear something like this happening.”
Pouncey, an army veteran, remains in Martin County Jail.