Teen Charged With Killing Mother After She Took Away His Cell Phone
An Arizona teenager has been arrested after allegedly attacking and killing his mother when she took away his cell phone.
Police arrested 16-year-old Mike Helms on Saturday and he is now being held in a juvenile detention center with charges of first degree murder, attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault, concealment of a dead body and tampering with evidence. Police say it is believed the teen attacked his mother, Tina Helms Spencer of Mesa, Ariz., in the early morning hours on Saturday after she took away his cell phone. It is suspected a hammer and a frying pan were used in the attack, and the 36-year-old mother was found in the family's backyard shed by police.
Mesa Police received a phone call from the 16-year-old's stepfather around 4 a.m. Saturday morning; the stepfather reported that the teen had attacked him with a frying pan after he entered the house upon returning home from work. The stepfather then fled the house, assuming that his wife was asleep.
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When police arrived at the home, they found the teen was no longer there and the wife's car was missing; after deeper investigation, they discovered the female's body in the backyard shed.
In addition to the 16-year-old son, his 17-year-old friend was also booked into juvenile detention, facing charges of first-degree murder as an accomplice, evidence tampering and concealment of a body. Police allege the friend reportedly served as a lookout while the teen disposed of his mother's body in the shed.
Friends of the suspected murderer have spoken to local media outlets to say the teen was not known for being aggressive or violent in school; he was even a member of the school's ROTC cadet program.
"I don't think he did it, honestly, but there's always a possibility. He's a giant teddy. He's tough on the outside. He puts up that front, but when you get to know him, he's a standup guy,"Mike O'Connor, a classmate, told Fox10 News.
"He didn't really have home issues he talked about. If he did, it was typical stuff. One week he'd have a fight with this parents, the next week he was talking about how his mom was awesome and helping him out with something," O'Connor added.
