FORT DUCHESNE, Utah — A Uintah County man has been indicted on federal charges after he allegedly beat his mother to death when she refused to let him use her car.
The U.S. Attorney's Office claims Philip Bernard Weston, who also uses the last name Mahpiya-Wicasta, beat his mother so severely with his bare hands that she died from the injuries suffered during the assault that took place on July 13.
On the day she was beaten, Weston's mother, who is hearing impaired, used social media to alert a relative that she needed help. When officers arrived at the woman's Fort Duchesne home, Weston, 52, answered the door and said everything was fine.
Despite Weston's assurances, the officer saw the woman inside the home with "a large amount of blood behind her," leading to Weston being taken into custody. A search of the home found blood in other areas and on the woman's tablet that she used to communicate.
Once Weston's mother was transported to a hospital in Roosevelt, she gave statements to officials using ASL about what had occurred. She said her son wanted to use her car, but while responding that "she loved him," she refused, leading to Weston becoming "extremely upset" and began to hit her.
"[Weston] got extremely upset and started hitting her. She stated that at some point during the assault she found herself on the floor and he punched her with both fists several times, hitting her in the head, the chest, and her sides," documents read.
The woman was later taken to a trauma center in Salt Lake City, where she later died from her injuries.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the woman's injuries included multiple broken ribs, a severe chest injury, broken clavicles, multiple head injuries, a four-inch laceration on her forehead, eye damage, scalp hematoma, hemothorax, collapsed lung, and fracture of the sternum and vertebrae.
Weston has been charged with second degree murder within Indian Country.
In its release, the Attorney's Office said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, which claims to use resources by the U.S. Department of Justice to "repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
