Teenager comes home to find his mother “screaming” in the garden, then his father fatally stabs him

Wioleta Murawski was remembered in an online fundraiser as a “wonderful mother, sister, friend and colleague who touched the lives of many people.”

A New York man accused of stabbing his wife to death in front of their teenage son has pleaded guilty to the woman's murder, authorities said.

Ryszard Murawski, 44, pleaded guilty on Sept. 17 to first-degree murder in the death of Wioleta Murawski, whom he killed in her yard in January, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in a news release.

On Jan. 3, the couple's 15-year-old son called 911 after coming home from his friend's house to find his mother “screaming for help” in the backyard, the news release said. The teen told police he saw his father stab his mother with a large serrated knife.

“The teenager was distressed throughout the call, begging police for help while desperately trying to save his mother's life,” the press release said.

Prosecutors said the boy jumped on his father and struggled with him until his mother was able to free herself. The woman managed to cross the street before “collapsing with her son by her side,” the news release said. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

After the stabbing, which prosecutors say was recorded on his home surveillance system, Ryszard fled the scene in a black GMC pickup truck. He was arrested after a chase that ended when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the side of a building, the news release said.

In a GoFundMe campaign launched after her death, Wioleta was remembered as a “wonderful mother, sister, friend and colleague who touched the lives of many.”

“Wioleta dedicated her life to educating her [two] sons and give them a better future,” the fundraiser's description reads. “She was an outgoing person who did her best. She was a great friend who always helped without expecting anything in return.”

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

Tierney called the murder a “tragic case of domestic violence” and pointed out that the couple's son suffered “horrific trauma” after witnessing the crime.

“This defendant will now have to pay for his actions in prison,” Tierney said in the press release. “Domestic violence is never the answer. I urge anyone living in an abusive relationship to seek help from our partner agencies linked below. Always call 911 in an emergency.”

Prosecutors said Ryszard faces a prison sentence of 22 years to life and is expected back in court on October 17.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in more than 170 languages.

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more People news!

Read the original article on People.