(WHDH) — A man fatally stabbed the mother of a child he was babysitting after the two shared an edible marijuana cookie together, authorities said.
Lavrius Watson, 26, of Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania, was arrested shortly after midnight on Saturday on a charge of criminal homicide in connection with the death of 41-year-old Elizabeth Leonard, according Pennsylvania State Police.
Emergency officials responding to a report of a domestic disturbance at a home in Mountain Top found Leonard propped up against the front door with deep cuts to her abdomen, the Pocono Record reported.
Watson, who had known Leonard for seven years, was babysitting one of her children on Friday night when the two decided to split a cookie infused with cannabis after dinner, the news outlet reported.
Watson then had an adverse reaction, walked to a drawer containing knives, pulled one out, and stabbed Leonard in the stomach five times, he reportedly admitted while speaking with investigators.
In an arrest report obtained by the outlet, police noted that Watson was “audibly crying” when he called 911 to ask for an ambulance.
Watson, who was kneeling in the grass and covered in blood when officers first arrived at the home, reportedly muttered: “Why did I do that?”
An autopsy confirmed that Leonard died from multiple stab wounds.
A judge has since remanded Watson to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
An investigation remains ongoing.
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