22-Year Old In Jail, Accused of Killing Grandma

Fresno police say Joyce Frazier was strangled by her grandson...

22-year old Travis Fendley is locked up at the Fresno County Jail and his aunt is speaking out.

CBS 47's Lemor Abrams reports has more on the suspect's troubled past.

Investigators say the suspect is on felony probation for vehicle theft.

But his family says he's been threatening to kill his relatives...and now they say he killed his grandma.

In this photo, 78-year old Joyce Frazier hugs her 22-year old grandson Travis Fendley... the young man police believe killed her.

"She was my rock. I was here everyday to help her. I tried to keep her protected from Travis and I couldn't," said Becky Alford.

Becky Alford says she tried shielding her mom from her nephew Fendley...for years.

But it was too late.

“He got here before I got here yesterday,” she said.

Becky called police Tuesday at 11pm, saying Fendley killed her mother.

He was already in custody... accused of carjacking.

That's when police say he made statements that he killed his grandma.

An autopsy revealed Frazier was strangled.

“We just found out that he strangled her yesterday morning at 8:30 or 8 o'clock. He was waiting for me and he was going to kill me and then he was going to take my car, go to my sister's, kill her, and then take her car and go kill himself,” she said.

Investigators say Fendley has behavior issues and an extensive criminal history.

His family says Frazier was scared of him...but let him live in the house for two years because she didn't want her grandson out in the streets.

“He's schizophrenic and every time he does something we have him put in jail and then they release him,” she said.

Investigators say prosecutors will be pursuing murder charges against Fendley.