Knaus Berry Farm owner in critical condition; son charged with attempted murder

A son brutally beat his mother and father with a blunt object Friday night, then fled, Miami-Dade police said.

He has been identified by an anonymous law enforcement source as Travis Grafe, the 40-year-old son of Rachel Knaus Grafe, one of the owners of Knaus Berry Farm, CBS Miami reported.

Grafe was arrested Saturday morning on charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery on a person 65 or older, and attempted robbery, according to jail records.

Around 8:20 p. m .

Friday, Miami-Dade police responded to the 15700 block of SW 248 Street in the Redlands, where Knaus Berry Farm is located, in reference to a “violent domestic dispute,” according to Detective Chris Thomas, a spokesperson for the police department. A son had attacked his mother and father with a blunt object inside of their home, then fled. Thomas did not identify the parties involved.

Grafe demanded money from his parents and beat them with a flashlight, CBS Miami reported.

The couple was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where the mother is in critical condition, Thomas said.

The son fled the scene, and Miami-Dade police arrested him at a nearby residence.

Knaus Berry Farm, a local favorite known for its cinnamon rolls and strawberry picking, has operated for nearly 70 years, beginning as a roadside strawberry stand in 1956. Rachel Grafe and her husband, Herbert, run the farm with her sister, Susan Blocher, and Susan’s husband Thomas.

Grafe was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. His bond is posted at $25,000.

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