Mom charged with attempted murder - tried to cut off son's head with a saw

ASPEN HILL, Md. - The mother of two children was arrested and charged with attempted murder after trying to cut her 11-year-old son’s head off with a saw.

Kristina Naranch Petrie, 46, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse and second-degree child abuse, according to Montgomery County District Court records.

Police became aware of the incident when Petrie’s husband took her to MedStar Montgomery Medical Center on March 12 seeking mental health treatment for her.

During her intake, she admitted she’d tried to kill her child because he was autistic and a “burden to society.” She admitted to hospital staff this wasn’t the first time she’d tried to kill her children.

When police went to the Petrie home to check on the two boys, they found the victim with cuts on his neck and cuts on his hands from defensive wounds as he tried to take the saw from his mother.

The victim told police that his mother tried to cut his head off for failing to do his homework and playing video games, but that he was able to wrest the saw away from her. He said she was laughing and crying and screaming during the incident.

The other son was not injured.

Petrie was arrested and charged. Her bail has not been set and she is expected to undergo a mental evaluation to determine her mental competency.