HOUSTON, Texas – A Harris County man accused of violently attacking his mother with a hammer is now facing upgraded charges after the victim succumbed to her injuries.
Authorities say Robert Babin, 24, was initially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection to the June 11 incident. However, on July 29, that charge was elevated to murder following the death of his mother, Lisa Babin, 61, according to Harris County court records.
Lisa Babin passed away nine days after the attack, local CBS affiliate KHOU reported.
Court documents reveal that after the alleged assault, Babin contacted a friend through an online gaming platform to confess.
“I am in trouble and I need your help,” he allegedly began. “I just assaulted my mother with a hammer, I got angry, I don’t know what to do, I can’t go to prison. I have to get rid of the hammer and destroy the evidence before the police get there.”
“I don’t want to end up on Death Row,” Babin continued. “I hit her a few times on the head and the side. She’s barely breathing.”
Investigators say the friend who received the messages immediately called 911, but because the messages weren’t seen until nearly two hours later, Lisa Babin was left critically injured for an extended period of time before help arrived.
When deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home in the 18700 block of Holly Way, they found Lisa Babin “barely breathing with serious bodily injuries.” She was reportedly unable to speak due to the severity of her wounds.
Babin allegedly told authorities he had “left his mother napping at the residence unhurt” and claimed he “had no idea what was happening.”
Major Ben Katrib of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office stated in early July that the assault appeared to have followed a heated verbal argument between Babin and his mother.
A preliminary investigation indicated that there was some sort of verbal argument between the victim and her son, who’s 24 years old, when he became enraged and struck her with a hammer several times,” Katrib said, per KHOU.
“We believe that based on the information we have – that the suspect was even making attempts to conceal the crime. But luckily, his friend did the right thing and called 911, and we were able to respond in time.”
Robert Babin remains in Harris County Jail on a $350,000 bond. Prosecutors say his charges would need to be upgraded to capital murder for the case to be eligible for the death penalty.
The investigation into this violent crime is ongoing as Harris County officials continue gathering evidence.
