A New Jersey man was charged Thursday with killing an 84-year-old woman and critically injuring her 53-year-old son in a brutal attack late last month.

Police responded to a call about an assault at the home of Elaine Trachin in Washington and found her dead from blunt force trauma. Her son, who is in a wheelchair, suffered “severe” blunt force trauma and was found with a garbage bag duct taped over his head and his hands duct taped to the wheelchair.

He remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, Lehigh Valley Live reported. He has been unable to communicate with authorities and is described as comatose.

Kyle Kaspereen, 24, had already been charged with tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension after investigators caught him deleting texts from his phone during a break while he was being questioned about the killing last week.

According to court documents, Kaspereen deleted messages between himself and Trachin’s son, from whom he had been trying to buy a motorcycle. Kaspereen reportedly told investigators he deleted the texts because they “didn’t add up to what I told you.”

Investigators said a state police dive team recovered a cell phone belonging to the son from the Delaware River earlier Thursday. Surveillance footage had shown Kaspereen dropping a cell phone off a bridge on November 30.

Kaspereen has been charged with murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, and burglary. He had been scheduled to appear in court on Friday on the tampering and interfering charges, but that appearance has been delayed.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast

[Featured image: Kyle Kaspereen/Warren County Correctional Center]