Mansfield woman charged with stabbing her autistic son

State police investigators, including a canine unit, were at the Colonial Town House Apartment complex, where the incident occurred, for much of the day.

A Mansfield woman was scheduled to appear in court today [Aug 25] after allegedly stabbing her 16-year-old autistic  son Tuesday, police said.

Robin Foster, 40, of 123 Foster Drive, Mansfield, faces charges of first-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor.

Her son, meanwhile, was in stable condition at Windham Community Memorial Hospital this morning.

Foster was being held on $1 million bond before her court appearance in Rockville Superior Court today. Results of her court appearance were unavailable at press time.

Police said they do not anticipate making any further arrests.

A teenage juvenile was originally investigated as a possible prime suspect.

State police at Troop C in Tolland said Foster called them at 9:46 a.m. Tuesday saying someone had stabbed her 16-year-old son who is physically challenged and doesn’t speak.

Police say Foster told them that said she heard a noise in her son’s room and encountered a male suspect in the room when she went to check on her son, and that the teenager fled from the apartment.

State police said the boy was found on his bed with multiple stab wounds and was suffering from serious, but non-life-threatening injuries when they arrived. He was taken to Windham Hospital.

Early emergency and police reports Tuesday indicated the stabbing victim was going to be taken by Life Star helicopter to Hartford Hospital.

WCMH spokesman Shawn Maynard, however, confirmed this morning the victim was at Windham Hospital and in stable condition.

Based on Foster’s description, police said they originally located a juvenile suspect Tuesday morning and were questioning the male, with the parents also present.

Police said they also continued to interview other witnesses and followed several leads while they talked with the initial suspect.

During their investigation, police said they found evidence indicating it was Foster, and not the juvenile suspect, who had stabbed her son.

State police investigators, including a canine unit, were at the Colonial Town House Apartment complex, where the incident occurred, for much of the day.

Neighbors appeared surprised by the presence of numerous state police vehicles Tuesday morning, saying the area is fairly safe.

Daphne Torres moved into the complex in November, but she said her mother has lived in her own apartment there for a few years and has experienced few safety concerns.

“That’s why I moved here, because it’s a quiet place,” she said.

Torres was not home when police first responded, but quickly came home after her mother contacted her.

Amanda Stinson, who also lives in the complex, was home and said she went outside when her daughter told her a number of emergency vehicles were in the neighborhood.

Stinson said she has lived there for seven years and agreed, “it seems to be a pretty safe, quiet place to live.”

Posted Aug. 25, 2010