Boy calls 911 as father kills mother with hammer in Springfield

Missouri Woman Allegedly Killed by Husband

A woman in Missouri was allegedly beaten to death with a hammer by her husband before police apprehended him.

Incident Details

During the incident, one of her children was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher. The child reported, “I hear banging” and later said, “She is not yelling or nothing anymore … I do not hear her anymore.” According to a probable cause affidavit, thirty-four-year-old Felipe Ayala murdered forty-seven-year-old Suzette Flores in the garage of their Springfield home on Wednesday while their child was on the phone with police.

911 Call

The boy called 911 around 11:20 p.m. and said, “I need somebody, my dad is hitting my mother, I need a police officer,” according to Law and Crime. He added, “I do not know what he is doing to my momma. I hear banging, she is not yelling or anything anymore. It is just quiet. I do not hear her anymore. I do not know what he did to her.” The child expressed fear, saying he was “very scared” and was “right by the garage.”

Child’s Testimony

The child alleged, “They have been doing this forever, and I am tired of it,” as officers were dispatched. He also said, “I think my dad is coming.” He asked the operator, “Are they on the way, ma’am? I am very scared, ma’am.” The affidavit stated that Ayala “had been waving a knife before the incident” and “kept believing people were out to get him.”

Witness Accounts

The child reported that both parents began fighting in the garage. He claimed to have seen his father choking his mother and striking her in the head. Ayala allegedly told Flores, “You made me do this.” The affidavit noted that Ayala looked at the children in the home and said they were next.

Police Arrival

At the time of the incident, three children were home. Ayala allegedly called them to the garage. Police arrived around 11:22 p.m. and ordered Ayala to come outside. Officers observed droplets of blood on various parts of Ayala’s body, consistent with “blood transfer with velocity and not smearing.”

Investigation Findings

Ayala was asked for the code to the garage door opener. Once the garage door opened, police found Flores lying on the ground with her head “covered in blood.” An officer observed “fragments of skull and brain matter” around her head and a hammer nearby. The affidavit stated, “The striking end of the hammer was coated in blood and tissue.”

Neighbor Reports

Police interviewed neighbors. One neighbor recalled hearing a female “screaming loudly something to the effect of ‘please stop.’” The neighbor saw a male “pacing in the garage” and “hitting something on the ground.” The neighbor reported that the beating lasted for 15 to 20 minutes before Ayala allegedly closed the door.

Charges and Fundraising

Ayala was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. A GoFundMe has been started for Flores’ children. The GoFundMe states, “Her life was taken suddenly and viciously. She was robbed of the chance to watch her babies and grand babies grow, and they were robbed of a life with their mother and grandmother.”