Son taken to psych ward after allegedly stabbing and killing mother, 91, who he reportedly thought was a mannequin

November 8, 2018 By Christina Carrega and Mark Mellone Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Police take out the body of Petrina Masotto from her 26th Avenue home. Eagle photo by Mark Mellone

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After a 91-year-old woman was found dead inside her Gravesend home on Wednesday, the victim’s son was taken into custody by cops and taken for psychological evaluation, police said.

Police received a call to a 26th Avenue address where a relative of Petrina Masotto had reported an assault. When officers arrived at the scene, Masotto was found unconscious.

Masotto’s 55-year-old son was taken into custody and transported to Coney Island Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, police said.

The son — who lives in the upstairs apartment — did not tell anyone his mother was dead for two days, police sources told the Eagle. He started to stab his mother’s leg with a knife to see if she was alive because he thought she was a mannequin, the source said.

Masotto’s cause of death will be determined by the city’s medical examiner. The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Additional reporting by Mark Mellone.