Anne Arundel County police arrested a 33-year-old Annapolis man Tuesday night and charged him with beating his mother. Robert N. Benscoter faces charges of attempted second-degree murder, assault and reckless endangerment.
Police responded to a report of family violence on the 1300 block of Hazel Nut Court in Cape St. Claire shortly after 8 p.m. The 61-year-old woman at the home had been violently assaulted by her son, police said. Benscoter, who also lives at the residence, used a hammer to strike his mother repeatedly in the head and torso, police said. The victim fled the home and called police from a neighbor's residence. She was taken to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where she remains in serious condition, police said.
Benscoter had left the home on foot. Officers searched with K-9 and aviation units until they located the suspect in a wooded area near Commanders Way. He was taken into custody about 10 p.m.