Inset: Kersten Francilus. Background: Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff's Office in Florida investigate after Francilus allegedly stabbed a woman walking her dog to death (Martin County Sheriff's Office).
A 25-year-old Florida man repeatedly stabbed a woman in her mid-70s who was walking her dog in a seemingly random attack that claimed the victim's life, authorities say.
Kersten Francilus is facing a charge of first-degree murder in the attack that occurred Thursday afternoon, according to the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
"He stabbed her … upwards of 16 times and was actively stabbing her while the responding deputy responded to the scene," a prosecutor said in court Friday, according to local NBC affiliate WPTV. "He spoke to law enforcement and [said] he killed her. When asked to describe her … the only way he could describe her was that she was Jewish."
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told reporters at the scene that neighbors initially called 911 after Francilus was knocking on doors and asking people in the neighborhood about a "new bank."
"There's no bank around here," Budensiek said.
As deputies were en route, they received more calls about the suspect on top of the woman, "actively stabbing her." Francilus was allegedly still stabbing the woman when a deputy arrived. The deputy pulled out his gun and ordered the suspect to stop and he surrendered, per cops.
Paramedics rushed the woman to the hospital where doctors pronounced her dead. Budensiek said the suspect lives with his mom and wife in another neighborhood nearby. The sheriff said there's no known connection between the victim, who has not been identified, and suspect.
"At this point, this appears like an extremely violent, random act of violence, really an odd set of circumstances for this nice neighborhood," said Budensiek. "… We just simply know that we've had a horrendous crime that's taken place in this neighborhood."
Investigators went to Francilus' home and his family members identified the weapon he used as a steak knife from their kitchen, cops said. Deputies had responded to the home before about Francilus acting strangely but had no other calls for service, according to Budensiek.
Neighbors whom Francilus asked about the bank described him as "relatively calm" and there was no indication that he was armed, the sheriff said. They called cops because they thought it was odd he was asking about a bank in a residential neighborhood.
"When they engaged in the conversation and told him there was no bank here, he kind of just turned off and meandered back down the driveway, not being confrontational. He never really was confrontational with anybody he interacted with."
Francilus is in the Martin County Jail without bond.