East New York Man Faces 25 Years to Life For Stabbing His Mother to Death

EAST NEW YORK, NY — An East New York man was convicted Monday for killing his own mother in 2014 so she wouldn't out him in another crime, the Brooklyn District Attorney's office said. Apollo Hernandez, 31, was found guilty of second-degree murder in a jury trial in the Brooklyn Supreme Court. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison for the brutal murder of Ruth Maceira, 48, the Brooklyn DA said.

"This defendant brutally bludgeoned and stabbed his mother to death to keep her from turning him in to authorities. He has now been held accountable for this horrific crime," Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.

On December 17, 2014, Hernandez went to Maceira's Bushwick home and beat her repeatedly with a metal statue. He then used a kitchen knife to slit her throat, the Brooklyn DA's office said.

There were bloody footprints from the apartment to the front door of the building left by Hernandez, the Brooklyn DA said. When Hernandez was arrested, the bottom of his sneakers appeared to be melted, and melted rubber was found on his stove, in an apparent attempt to erase his treads at the crime scene.

Police also found a pair of jeans cut into pieces and soaking in a bucket of cleaning fluid in Hernandez's apartment, according to the Brooklyn DA.

Testimony and text messages showed in trial that Maceira had knowledge of a crime Hernandez had committed against a younger family member, and was planning to meet later that week with Brooklyn prosecutors about it.

At the time of the murder, Hernandez was out on bail after being charged with incest and rape on May 22, 2014 for raping a family member. His father had paid his $3,500 bail, but upon finding out about his wife's stabbing and beating, Hernandez's father demanded his money back and put his son back in jail.

A request for comment to Hernandez's attorney wasn't immediately returned.

Hernandez's sentencing is set for Dec. 19.

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