A Miami-Dade mother was taken into custody Thursday after deputies said she stabbed her 19-year-old son with a fork during an argument that escalated over a phone bill and his school attendance. According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Leticia Puentes was arrested around 8:15 a.m. at a home near Northwest 72nd Street.
Deputies said that when they arrived, Puentes’s son had a fresh puncture wound behind his right ear. He told authorities that the injury came from his mother during a heated dispute about a phone bill and his ongoing tardiness at school. The confrontation reportedly turned physical before Puentes grabbed the fork.
Puentes later admitted to deputies that the argument became intense and that her son began throwing items in the home, according to the arrest report. She said the conflict moved to the floor, where the two struggled. During that tussle, she claimed she stabbed him in self-defense, according to ABC affiliate WPLG.
Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the scene and treated the victim, who did not require hospitalization. Puentes was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where she was booked on one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Jail records show she was being held on a $3,000 bond as of Friday morning. The sheriff’s office did not release additional details about the son’s condition or whether the long-running argument over school behavior and expenses had led to previous disputes.
For now, the case highlights another instance of a family conflict turning violent, leaving investigators to sort out the claims made by both sides. Puentes will face a judge to determine whether her self-defense claim affects how the case proceeds, while her son recovers from the injury. The investigation remains ongoing.