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Inset: Kersten Francilus. Background: Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff”s Office in Florida investigate after Francilus allegedly stabbed a woman walking her dog to death (Martin County Sheriff’s Office).
A 25-year-old man from Florida has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly launching a fatal and random knife attack on a woman in her mid-70s as she was out walking her dog, officials report.
The accused, Kersten Francilus, is believed to have carried out the attack on Thursday afternoon, as confirmed by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
During a court appearance on Friday, a prosecutor revealed that Francilus stabbed the victim over 16 times and was still attacking her when a deputy arrived on the scene, as reported by the local NBC affiliate, WPTV. Francilus reportedly admitted to the killing, describing the victim only by her Jewish identity.
According to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, who briefed reporters at the scene, the incident was brought to their attention by residents who noticed Francilus knocking on doors and inquiring about a “new bank” in an area known to lack any such establishment.
“There’s no bank around here,” Budensiek clarified.
As deputies were en route, they received more calls about the suspect on top of the woman, “actively stabbing her.” Francilus was allegedly still stabbing the woman when a deputy arrived. The deputy pulled out his gun and ordered the suspect to stop and he surrendered, per cops.
Paramedics rushed the woman to the hospital where doctors pronounced her dead. Budensiek said the suspect lives with his mom and wife in another neighborhood nearby. The sheriff said there’s no known connection between the victim, who has not been identified, and suspect.
“At this point, this appears like an extremely violent, random act of violence, really an odd set of circumstances for this nice neighborhood,” said Budensiek. “… We just simply know that we’ve had a horrendous crime that’s taken place in this neighborhood.”
Investigators went to Francilus’ home and his family members identified the weapon he used as a steak knife from their kitchen, cops said. Deputies had responded to the home before about Francilus acting strangely but had no other calls for service, according to Budensiek.
Neighbors whom Francilus asked about the bank described him as “relatively calm” and there was no indication that he was armed, the sheriff said. They called cops because they thought it was odd he was asking about a bank in a residential neighborhood.
“When they engaged in the conversation and told him there was no bank here, he kind of just turned off and meandered back down the driveway, not being confrontational. He never really was confrontational with anybody he interacted with.”
Francilus is in the Martin County Jail without bond.