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'He's Not A Murderer,' Says Mother Of Man Charged In Fatal Stabbing At P.F. Chang's

PEABODY (CBS) -- Shawn Huston is coming to terms with the hard truth that her 23-year-old son, Jaquan Huston, is now charged with murder in the stabbing death of a co-worker at P.F. Chang's restaurant at the Northshore Mall in Peabody on Saturday.

P.F. Chang's Fatal Stabbing
A person was stabbed to death inside a P.F. Chang's in Peabody on Saturday. (WBZ-TV)

Huston was arrested at the Salem apartment he shares with his mother, who witnessed the arrest.

P.F. Chang's Murder Suspect
Jaquan Huston. (WBZ-TV)

"When I went downstairs, I saw my son in handcuffs," she told WBZ.

"He looked like a disturbed man that I never knew. I said 'What happened, Jaquan?' He said 'He threatened me, Mom. He threatened to stab me and I did what I had to do.'"

But Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett says he will seek first-degree murder charges.

He says the victim, 38-year-old Elivelton Dias of Salem, was stabbed in the back.

P.F. Chang's Victim
Elivelton Dias (Photo Credit: Facebook)

Friends told WBZ Dias recently became the father of a new baby less than two weeks ago.

Shawn Huston says she feels sad for the victim, and that he is gone. She says if she could change anything, she would change that fact.

When it comes to her son Jaquan, she says "He's not a murderer, but he has anger issues. He snapped."

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