The Hollywood man charged with murdering his own mother pleaded not guilty during an appearance in a Broward court Friday.
Jason Kertesz, 29, is being held without bond on a premeditated first-degree murder charge in the death of his mother, Irene Kertesz.
His trial was set to begin Tuesday.
According to an arrest affidavit, Irene Kertesz, 62, was was found dead inside her home in the 2400 block of Northwest 57th Way on July 30. Police say her husband, John Kertesz, found her unresponsive and bleeding from her head.
When police arrived, they found a baseball bat in a bathtub and blood in the sink in Jason Kertesz's bathroom, according to the affidavit. A pair of his shorts with blood on them was also found.
There was obvious blunt trauma to Irene Kertesz's head and a doctor from the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office quickly ruled the death a homicide, the affidavit said. Irene Kertesz had been dead for several hours before she was found, police said.
When John Kertesz and police searched the home, they realized Irene Kertesz's rental car was missing as were several credit cards and an ATM card, the affidavit said.
Surveillance video from an ATM machine at a gas station showed Jason Kertesz using his mother's card there to take out cash, the affidavit said.
Kertesz was later arrested in Aventura after police tracked him down thanks to a CrimeStoppers tip.
A phone call to Kertesz's attorney was not immediately returned.
