Tamarac Man Held Without Bond on First-Degree Murder Charge in Stabbing Death of His Mother

A 28-year-old Tamarac man is being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail, charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the stabbing death of his 58-year-old mother inside the home they shared, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office and Broward County court records. Manuel Antonio Farfán Cabello, whose name also appears in reports as Manuel Farfan-Cabello, is accused of stabbing Ylda Lucia Cabello Ynocente multiple times on the evening of Friday, Oct. 9.

At his first court appearance on Sunday, a Broward County judge denied bond and ordered a mental health screening after his attorney requested one, CBS News Miami and Local 10 News reported. Investigators have not disclosed a motive. Farfán Cabello has not entered a plea, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

What deputies say happened

Deputies were called around 7:45 p.m. Friday to a home in the 5300 block of Northwest 28th Avenue in Tamarac, the Broward Sheriff's Office said. They found Cabello Ynocente with multiple stab wounds, and fire rescue personnel pronounced her dead at the scene, according to BSO.

Deputies arrested Farfán Cabello Friday night on the same block, and he was booked into the Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, Local 10 reported. The sheriff's office initially described the charge as first-degree murder; court records list it as first-degree premeditated murder. BSO released the victim's name Saturday afternoon.

The sheriff's office has not said what led to the stabbing, what weapon was used, or whether anyone else was in the two-bedroom home at the time. The circumstances "were not immediately known," CBS News Miami reported, citing BSO.

A long night of evidence gathering

Neighbors told CBS News Miami off camera that SWAT teams responded to the scene Friday night. BSO investigators could be seen combing the area from Friday night into Saturday, and the search extended across the street from the house, according to Local 10. At one point, a dive team entered a nearby lake to look for evidence. The sheriff's office has not said whether anything was recovered.

Several hours before the stabbing, neighbors said, Farfán Cabello had been going door to door asking for money, Local 10 reported. Neighbors said videos showed him running from house to house that day.

The victim

Cabello Ynocente shared the home with her son, according to BSO. Local 10 and CBS News Miami reported her age as 58; NBC 6 reported it as 57. A Facebook account reviewed by Local 10 showed photos and videos of mother and son sharing a love of soccer, and identified her as a native of Huancayo, Peru, who had studied accounting at the public university there. Family members returned to the house on Sunday to clean up, the station reported.

In court

Farfán Cabello appeared before a judge on Sunday morning with the help of a Spanish interpreter to hear the charge against him. The judge ordered that he be held with no bond and granted his attorney's request for a mental health screening, according to CBS News Miami and Local 10.

Prosecutors filed the capital homicide case on Saturday, and Broward Circuit Judge George Odom was set to preside, Local 10 reported, citing court records. Farfán Cabello turns 29 on Oct. 16.

A family seeking answers

Relatives have described a long struggle with mental illness. Family members told NBC 6 that Farfán Cabello had battled severe mental illness for years. Cabello Ynocente's sister-in-law, identified by the station as Rocio, traveled to South Florida from Peru after learning of the death and said her nephew has schizophrenia, has undergone treatment for it and often struggles with hallucinations. She said he is not a bad person and that she hopes he gets the help he needs. An aunt told Local 10 that he receives treatment but that she does not have access to his medical records or history.

The family described Cabello Ynocente as a devoted mother and a kind, hard-working woman whose faith and family meant everything to her, according to NBC 6. Her ex-husband, Oscar Montero, told the station, "It's very hard to explain to you about how hard this is."

Relatives are working to return her remains to Peru, where much of the family lives. Peru's consul general and deputy consul in Miami have contacted the family and are helping arrange the repatriation, NBC 6 reported.

The sheriff's office has not commented on Farfán Cabello's mental health, and no court has made any finding about it. Investigators also have not said whether deputies had been called to the home before.

What the charge means

First-degree premeditated murder is a capital felony in Florida. Under state law, a person convicted of a capital felony is sentenced to death if a separate sentencing proceeding results in a death recommendation; otherwise the sentence is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors with the Broward State Attorney's Office decide whether to seek the death penalty, and they have not announced a decision in this case. If they intend to seek death, state law requires them to notify the defendant and the court within 45 days after arraignment, listing the aggravating factors they expect to prove.

A mental health screening ordered at first appearance is not the same as a finding of incompetence. Under Chapter 916 of the Florida Statutes, a defendant is considered incompetent to proceed if he lacks sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding, or lacks a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings. If his lawyers or the court raise that question, at least two court-appointed mental health experts must evaluate him before a judge decides whether the case can move forward. A finding of incompetence would pause the prosecution while he receives treatment; it would not end the case. Any later claim that he was not responsible because of a mental illness at the time of the killing would be a separate issue for trial.

What's next

Farfán Cabello remains in the Broward County Main Jail. The next steps are the filing of formal charges by the State Attorney's Office, which in a first-degree murder case is typically done through a grand jury indictment, followed by an arraignment where he will enter a plea. The results of the court-ordered mental health screening could shape how quickly the case proceeds. BSO homicide detectives are continuing to investigate, and the agency has not released further details on a possible motive.