Florida – In a deeply disturbing incident in Florida that caught nationwide attention, a 40-year-old mother, identified as J. Mroz, is behind bars after strangling her 6-year-old autistic son to death during what she described as a moment of overwhelming frustration. She has been charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held without bond at the county jail.
Mroz, a public school educator, made her first court appearance Monday, just two days after calling 911 and confessing that she had killed her son and tried to end her own life. Her pretrial hearing is scheduled for October 27. According to an affidavit from the sheriff’s office, Mroz called emergency services shortly before 10 a.m. on October 19, telling dispatchers that she had strangled her son and was in the process of trying to take her own life. When deputies arrived at the residence, they found Mroz with cuts and blood on her arms, and her son lying unresponsive on the floor. Paramedics rushed the child to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
In her interview with police, Mroz said her son, who had been diagnosed with autism, had been watching television when he suddenly began banging his head on the floor and hitting himself, a behavior she claimed was consistent with previous outbursts. When she tried to intervene, she said he bit and hit her, striking her in the face. That’s when, she told detectives, “I snapped.” She then described kneeling over him and using both hands to strangle him, continuing to apply pressure even as he struggled. She admitted that she only stopped once he was lifeless. Following the act, Mroz said she went to another room, retrieved razor blades she had purchased two days earlier, and cut her wrists in a failed suicide attempt. She then texted family members, apologizing vaguely but offering no details, and called 911 to report what had happened.
Investigators have not released information regarding what treatment or support services were being provided to either the child or Mroz, and questions remain about what resources, if any, were in place to help her manage the care of a child with significant needs. According to Mroz, she had attempted to take her own life earlier that same day, before picking her son up from his father’s home. Her mental state and the possible warning signs leading up to the incident are now part of a larger investigation.
The school district, where Mroz was employed, released a formal statement confirming her status as an employee. In the statement, officials confirmed that Mroz had been arrested by the sheriff’s office and would not be permitted on any school campus. Citing district policy and employee privacy laws, officials stated that no further information would be released. They also expressed sympathy for those impacted, extending “deepest condolences to all who are grieving,” and noted that crisis teams were being deployed to provide support and care in the aftermath of what the district described as a heartbreaking event. The district did not disclose where she worked or in what role but confirmed she taught grades 6 through 12.
As Mroz remains in custody, facing one of the most serious charges under Florida law, the wider community is left to grapple with the complex, painful circumstances behind the tragedy. A child’s life has been lost, a family destroyed, and a mother who says she broke under the weight of mental strain now faces the consequences of her irreversible actions. The investigation remains ongoing.
