A California grandmother, Theresa Jones, 61, was found dead in her car in a church parking lot days after she was reported missing, and her son has been charged with her murder. Emmanuel Wesley, 23, is accused of shooting his mother twice in the back while she sat in her vehicle outside the Fullerton Police Department on July 4, then moving her body and driving away.
Jones's disappearance was noted on July 7 when she failed to pick up her grandchild and stopped responding to calls from family. Four days later, on July 11, authorities found her body inside her car, which had been abandoned in a Fullerton church parking lot. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Jones pulling up to the police department with Wesley in the backseat. The video reportedly shows Jones slumping over in the driver's seat, after which Wesley allegedly moved to the driver's seat and drove off.
"The death of any human being is a tragedy. For someone to kill their own mother is another level of depravity," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer stated. "We will do everything we can to pursue justice for Ms. Jones and everyone who loved her."
Jones's family described her as a devoted Christian with an infectious personality who was fiercely devoted to her children and grandchildren. A GoFundMe campaign was created to help with funeral expenses, with the family writing that "To know Theresa was to love her."
Wesley has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bail in the Orange County Jail. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of 50 years to life in prison.