Texas Man Arrested in Connection with Murder of Mother After Allegedly Sharing Gruesome Image of Her Dead Body on Snapchat

• Alexander Taylor Valdez, 23, was arrested by police on a murder charge in connection with the death of his mother, 58-year-old Teresita Sayson
• Police said they received a report on the incident on Friday, April 18 from an anonymous caller who said they were sent a photo of a woman on the ground covered in blood on Snapchat
• Valdez allegedly told police when they arrived at the home that “it was an exorcism”

A 23-year-old Texas man has been arrested after his mother was found beaten to death, and he told police it was “an exorcism,” according to authorities.

Alexander Taylor Valdez was arrested by police in Fort Worth, Texas on a murder charge in connection with the death of his mother, 58-year-old Teresita Sayson, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

The Texas Fort-Worth Police Department said in its arrest affidavit that officers received a report at roughly 1:30 a.m. on Friday, April 18 from an anonymous caller, who had received a Snapchat photo in a group chat of a woman on the ground “covered in something red, possibly blood.”

Police arrived on the scene, and Valdez allegedly answered the door, with what appeared to be blood splattered on his “face, neck, chest, torso, hands and feet.” He was also holding a Bible, and told police, “it was an exorcism” as he walked out of the house and sat on a chair in the front porch.

When police went inside the home, they allegedly found Sayson in the master bedroom covered in blood with “trauma” to her “face and upper body.” She was pronounced dead at around 2:53 a.m., police said.

A dead dog was also found in the room, alongside a broken jewelry box with blood and human hair on it, which matched Sayson’s hair color and style.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

When police asked Valdez about the incident, he allegedly told them that he had been “doing witchcraft to kill my mom,” per the affidavit. Responding officers asked if anyone else had been in the home, and police claimed he replied, “There is a dead body in there, it’s my mom.”

According to the arrest affidavit, Valdez allegedly sent a photo of the bloody scene to a group chat on Snapchat. Several of his friends in the chat also showed up to the scene. One of the friends looked at the photo and allegedly told others not to open it. Another allegedly showed the photo to the police. 

When Valdez was taken to the police homicide office, he declined to answer any questions and requested an attorney, the arrest affidavit said.

According to Tarrant County Jail records, obtained by CBS News, his bond is set at $750,000.