Investigators say man charged for attacking mom messaged friend: 'I have to get rid of the hammer'

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Investigators say a west Harris County man sent his friend a detailed confession after attacking his mother with a hammer.

The 61-year-old victim was airlifted to the hospital Wednesday after the attack at the Holly Way Lane home she shares with her 24-year-old son, Robert Babin.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said they got a call from Babin's friend around 6 p.m. Wednesday.

He told them he had noticed a string of two-hour-old messages from Babin on a gaming app, confessing to the hammer attack.

According to court documents, the messages read:

"I am in trouble and I need your help. I just assaulted my mother with a hammer, I got angry, I don't know what to do, I can't go to prison. I have to get rid of the hammer and destroy the evidence before the police get there. I don't want to end up on Death Row. I hit her a few times on the head and the side. She's barely breathing."

Deputies say they found the victim bleeding in the backyard, but that her injuries were so severe, she wasn't able to speak to them.

Investigators say Babin told them he had left his mother napping at the house that morning while he went to the store.

They say he expressed confusion about the police presence when he returned, and that he repeatedly claimed he didn't know what had happened.

Babin was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony that carries a sentence of up to 20 years.

Babin's court-appointed attorney argued for a $30,000 bond, noting his lack of criminal history and describing him as a "high-functioning person with autism."

A hearing officer quickly sided with prosecutors and set Babin's bond at $150,000.

As of Friday, he remains in the Harris County Jail.

For news updates, follow Luke Jones on Facebook, X and Instagram.