Stephen Lee Rodda.Photo:Cici Steedley/GoFundMe
Cici Steedley/GoFundMe
The father of a teenage boy in Florida was arrested for allegedly killing his son with a power tool in what the local sheriff termed a “horrific event.”
Stephen Thomas Rodda, 37, was taken into custody after he allegedly killed his son, 16-year-old Stephen Lee Rodda, inside a mobile home in Lake Wales, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced at aMonday news conferencestreamed on Facebook.
The teenager was staying at his grandfather’s house to help him out while his grandmother was in rehab, the sheriff said.
There, the suspect allegedly told his father, “I wouldn’t go in there if I was you,” the sheriff said. “I killed someone. You may need to call the police.”
When Thomas went inside the home, he found the victim dead in the dining room.
Sheriff Judd explained that while the investigation is still in its early stages, it appears that the suspect allegedly killed his son with an angle grinder — a handheld power tool used for abrasive cutting and polishing.
“It breaks our heart,” Sheriff Judd told reporters. “There aren’t adequate words to explain how horrific this event is.”
Stephen Thomas Rodda was arrested about a mile away from the scene on Highway 60, the sheriff said. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.
The sheriff said the victim was an 11th grade student at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, where he was studying to be an electrician. The teenager also was about to start his job at Burger King next week in hopes of saving enough money to buy a car.
“I want you to know that the world lost a great young man today. We lost a great young man,” Sheriff Judd said. “And we’ve got an evil, evil man in custody and we’re gonna do our best to see that he spends the rest of his life in prison.”
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According to Sheriff Judd, the suspect has a criminal history in multiple states. When he was taken into custody, authorities learned he had an outstanding arrest warrant in South Carolina. He also previously lived in Texas, Ohio, and Washington D.C.
Stephen Thomas Rodda.Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd
“This guy has been nothing but a problem to society for a very long time,” the sheriff told reporters.
A motive for the homicide remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, loved ones have set up aGoFundMe campaignto offset costs for the teenager’s funeral.
source: people.com
