A six-year-old boy was found dead in his Herzliya home on Tuesday.

The gruesome discovery was made by the child’s grandmother, who arrived at the apartment in the Galil Yam neighborhood and immediately alerted law enforcement. Authorities have arrested the mother of the young boy, who stands accused of not only murdering her son but also killing the family dog.

Local police believe that after murdering her child, she attacked a security guard at a nearby mall with an axe, causing minor injuries. She then reportedly undressed, meditated, and then tried to stab herself.

Neighbors in the typically quiet community are grappling with the shocking reality of the situation.

“She walked past me and then turned back. I noticed blood splatters on her face. This was around 6 p.m. It seemed utterly surreal. I mistook the blood for a face mask. Her bare feet and torn clothes bewildered me. I was terrified, even more so when she began following me,” a neighbor tells Israel Hayom.

“She entered the building, and when I asked if she was alright, she affirmed she was. But something felt off. It sent shivers down my spine. About 90 minutes later, police cars flooded the area, and the gravity of the situation became clear.”

In a statement, the National Insurance Institute has clarified that the mother was not a survivor of the Hamas massacre on October 7, nor did she have prior contact with social services. Mayor Yariv Fisher assured residents that municipal police and social workers are working to support the investigation and assist the community during this difficult time.

The boy’s mother is expected to undergo a thorough psychiatric evaluation to assess her mental state and determine any underlying factors that may have contributed to this horrendous tragedy.