Barbara Waterson called 911 but Berkowitz, 42, took the phone from her to tell the police dispatcher, “I killed my wife. I didn’t use a knife. I used a hammer to kill her,” according to the arrest report filed in the case.
The 911 call was made about 4 a.m. Thursday, police said.
Officers arrived to find Berkowitz outside his mother’s home in the 8800 block of Cleary Boulevard where he told them again, “I killed my wife,” the report stated.
Berkowitz, Savitskaya, 33, and their 7-year-old son had moved into Waterson’s home about one year ago. During police questioning, she described the couple’s relationship as “toxic” and like, “living in a war zone,” investigators said.
After Berkowitz woke her up to confess, Waterson called 911, grabbed her grandson, put him the bathroom and closed the door to protect him from the bloody scene, the report stated.
Police also interviewed the young boy who told them he woke up to find his father trying to wake his mother. The child said his mother sounded like she was “snoring” had a “boo boo” on her head and blood in her hair, according to the police report.
The child said he saw his father drag his mother out of the bedroom and into the living room but, “mommy wouldn’t wake up,” the report stated.