Police said an argument over food escalated into an attack that left the woman hospitalized in critical condition.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 27-year-old Memphis man is facing attempted second-degree murder and domestic assault charges after police said he struck his mother with a baseball bat during an argument over food, leaving her critically injured.
DeAngelo Billingsley was arrested after Memphis police responded Saturday to a home on Bonita Avenue in the Whitehaven area. According to an arrest affidavit cited by local and court-focused news organizations, Billingsley and his mother had been arguing because she had not prepared food for him. Authorities allege the dispute became physical inside the home.
The woman told first responders that her son entered her bedroom carrying a metal baseball bat and moved toward her during the argument. Police said the two struggled over the bat before Billingsley allegedly gained control and struck her in the head. Officers found the woman with a serious forehead injury, according to reports citing police and court records.
The woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition and received emergency treatment. WREG reported that she was transported to Methodist University Hospital. She initially communicated with authorities at the scene but later was unable to give investigators a spoken statement at the hospital, according to local reports.
Investigators said the woman was still able to identify Billingsley as the person who injured her when officers showed her a photograph. Authorities have not publicly released her name. No later medical update describing her current condition was found in the reports reviewed Thursday.
The arrest affidavit also describes statements Billingsley allegedly made after he was detained and taken to a police station. According to the court document, Billingsley acknowledged taking an aluminum bat from his bedroom during the confrontation and striking his mother after the two struggled over it. The statements are allegations contained in the criminal case and have not been tested at trial.
Billingsley is charged with criminal attempted second-degree murder and domestic assault causing bodily harm, according to Shelby County court records reviewed by Law&Crime. Local reports said he was being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $52,000, including $50,000 connected to the latest case.
An additional $2,000 bond was connected to an alleged violation of conditions in a 2024 case that also involved his mother, according to local reports. In that earlier matter, Billingsley was accused of damaging his mother’s vehicle after she told him to leave her home. Court records cited by Action News 5 indicated he was living with his mother when the latest incident occurred.
The criminal case remained pending in the latest reports reviewed Thursday. Authorities had not announced a final determination of guilt, and no updated information was available about the woman’s recovery or the outcome of subsequent court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated September 10, 2026.