11-year-old boy stabbed to death at Santa Ana hotel, mother in custody, police say

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- An 11-year-old boy was stabbed and found dead Wednesday morning at a Santa Ana hotel, and his mother was taken into custody, authorities said.

The grim discovery was made at the La Quinta Inn located at 2721 Hotel Terrace, just west of the 55 Freeway, a spokesperson for the Orange County Fire Authority said.

According to the Santa Ana Police Department, authorities responded to the scene after the mother called to say that she had killed her son. The child was found on a bed in a hotel room.

The mother was transported to a hospital after she ingested an unknown substance, a police spokesperson said. She was listed in stable condition.

The names of the victim and suspect were not immediately released. A weapon was recovered, police said.

Officer Natalie Garcia, a Santa Ana Police Department spokesperson, said a motive is unknown.

Garcia said the mother and son are from the Irvine area and have been staying at the hotel off and on for the last couple of weeks.