Husband of beloved kindergarten school teacher, 57, who was 'murdered by her son' breaks his silence with chilling revelation about how she died

The husband of beloved California kindergarten teacher Karyn Lombardo said she died after she 'hit her head' during an altercation with their son - and claims it was an accident.

An emotional Vince Lombardo made the shocking revelation after his son, Kyle, appeared at a Burbank courthouse on Thursday for his arraignment on murder charges.

In an interview with local ABC 7, Vince said he spoke briefly to his son, who told him how the tragic events unfolded.  

'There was some type of altercation, her head was hit,' Vince said. 

He added: 'He was volatile. He had a kind heart, big heart. But when he got to that point he was pretty volatile and he didn't know how to control his emotions.'

Investigators said Kyle allegedly killed his mother, who was a popular kindergarten teacher, at about 10pm Tuesday at their home on the 800 block of North Avon Street in Burbank.

Karyn Lombardo (left middle), 57, was found dead on Tuesday in her home in Burbank, California. Her son, Kyle Lombardo (far left), 25, was arrested and charged with her murder 

Vince Lombardo said he spoke to his son, who allegedly told him the incident was an accident

Vince Lombardo told local TV station KTLA that he was not home the night of the murder and stayed overnight in Lake Arrowhead, about three hours east of Los Angeles.

Kyle, 25, is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. He remains in a Downtown Los Angeles jail in lieu of a $2 million bail. 

Vince Lombardo said his son was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - and attention-deficit disorder, or ADD.

'He's mentally challenged. He didn't want to kill her,' said Vince of his son.

The grieving husband and father also said Kyle took medications, but they became ineffective over time. 

He said police were called several times over the years to their home.

Vince Lombardo said his son, Kyle, was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and attention-deficit disorder, or ADD

Investigators said Kyle allegedly killed his mother, who was a popular kindergarten teacher, at about 10pm Tuesday at their home on the 800 block of North Avon Street in Burbank

Vince also said once his son became an adult, it became more difficult to obtain state mental health services, and often took months to get an appointment.

Kevin Buckle, Karyn's older brother, told DailyMail.com his sister had tried 'many, many times' to try to get help for her long-suffering son. 

'Kyle has struggled with his mental health for years and years,' Buckle said. 'My hope is this draws attention to the problems of mental health.' 

Karyn Lombardo had worked in the Burbank Unified School District since 1990 and was most recently a kindergarten teacher. 

Kevin Buckle, Karyn's older brother, attended his nephew's arraignment on Thursday. He said his younger sister tried multiple times over the year to get help for Kyle

Karyn Lombardo was proud of her British roots and her career as a veteran teacher. She displayed both sentiments with her car accessories

Parents and Karyn's former students erected a memorial for the beloved teacher. 

Her brother said Karyn was proud of her British roots. They were born in the English seaside town of Bournemouth - about two hours south west of London.

At their Burbank home, a plaque was prominently displayed on their front window of the famous British phrase, 'Keep Calm, Carry On', while her car was decorated with Union Jack accessories.

Zoe Bautista, one of Karyn's former students, said the teacher was 'sweet' and 'kind.' 

'She would always tell us that if we were down, just to love ourselves and to talk to our parents about it,' Bautista told KTLA. 'She would make us feel like we were the luckiest kids in the world.'

Karyn Lombardo's family said she doted on her son and tried many times to get the best help for his mental health struggles

After Thursday's court hearing, Deputy Public Defender Jimmy Chu said the mother and son did have an altercation, but no weapons were used.

'I'm very aware that my client's mother was a beloved member of the community,' said Chu to reporters outside of a Burbank courthouse. 'We offer our deepest condolences.

'However, it is also my understanding that at this time this tragedy is a result of an accident, following an altercation between a son and a mother, whom my client deeply loved.'