Polk County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Brutal Stabbing Death at Assisted Living Facility
Bartow, FL – May 19, 2025 – An 81-year-old man was found stabbed to death in his bed at an independent living care facility owned by ET Home Care in a quiet Bartow residential neighborhood.
The victim, whose identity has not been released, was discovered by staff around lunchtime after he failed to appear for meals, having been deceased for approximately 12 hours. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described the incident as a “freaky event,” noting the extreme violence of the attack.
Authorities identified the suspect as 18 year old Moses Ojeda, a resident of the facility, who confessed to stabbing the victim 113 times. According to Sheriff Judd, Ojeda was dropped off at the facility by his mother at approximately 6:45 PM on the evening of the murder, just hours after being released from a two-week stay at a Baker Act facility. The attack occurred around 11:45 PM while the victim was asleep.
During his confession, Ojeda told detectives he heard “voices in my head” instructing him to kill the victim. When asked why he stabbed the man 133 times, Ojeda chillingly responded, “The knife wasn’t very sharp.” He recounted that the victim woke during the attack and asked, “Why do you want to stab me?” to which Ojeda replied, “I just do.” When pressed about remorse, Ojeda stated, “I live my life with no regrets,” adding that he believed the victim was a “good guy” but that he “had to do what I had to do.” Detectives noted defensive wounds on the victim, indicating he attempted to fight back.
Sheriff Judd revealed that Ojeda has a history of mental health issues, including diagnoses of ADHD, bipolar disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, autism, anxiety, and sudden outbursts of rage. Ojeda had been Baker Acted six times this year and has a prior record of domestic battery against his mother. Upon dropping him off at the facility, his mother warned staff to “hide the knives.” Although the facility complied, Ojeda located a knife, which he used in the attack.
After the murder, Ojeda washed the knife and returned it to its original place, placed his bloodied clothes in a hamper, changed his shoes, turned off the victim’s room light, and closed the door. The following morning, he casually ate breakfast, watched TV, and remained at the facility until Bartow police arrived after a 911 call.
ET Home Care, owned by Adrina Thornton, told investigators that Ojeda had been wandering the neighborhood that evening and forgot the facility’s door code, requiring staff to let him back in. Based on their interactions, the owners had already decided to return Ojeda to his mother, believing he required more intensive care than their facility could provide.
Mosea Ojeda is charged with first degree murder. Nothing further at this time.
