California Grandmother Found Dead in Church Parking Lot; Son Charged With Murder

A 61-year-old Orange County grandmother whose sudden disappearance alarmed her family has been found dead inside her own car, and authorities say her son is now facing murder charges in connection with her killing.

Theresa Jones, of Santa Ana, was last known to be alive on the afternoon of July 4, when surveillance cameras captured her vehicle pulling up outside the Fullerton Police Department, according to prosecutors. Her son, 23-year-old Emmanuel Wesley, was riding in the back seat, investigators said. Around 2:46 p.m., the footage allegedly shows Jones slumping over behind the wheel, followed by Wesley climbing out of the back, moving her body into the passenger seat, taking the wheel and driving away.

Prosecutors allege that Wesley shot his mother twice in the back while she sat in the driver's seat. Her body was discovered four days after her disappearance, on July 11, when officers found her vehicle abandoned in the parking lot of a church in Fullerton.

Jones' absence first drew the attention of loved ones on July 7, when she failed to pick up one of her grandchildren as planned and stopped responding to repeated calls from family members, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Wesley has been charged with murder, along with a firearm enhancement that prosecutors say could add decades to any prison sentence. If convicted on both counts, he faces up to 50 years to life behind bars. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the alleged crime in stark terms. "The death of any human being is a tragedy," Spitzer said. "For someone to kill their own mother is another level of depravity. We will do everything we can to pursue justice for Ms. Jones and everyone who loved her."

Jones' family remembered her as a woman whose faith and devotion to her loved ones defined her life. In a GoFundMe campaign launched to help with funeral expenses, relatives described her as someone who put her children and grandchildren above herself. "To know Theresa was to love her," the family wrote.

Loved ones also remembered Jones as smart, funny and full of energy, with a vibrant personality that had earned her the nickname "Cardi B." Her sudden absence, the family said, launched a weeklong search that ended in devastating news.

"The shock of her loss has left a profound, empty space in the hearts of everyone who loved her," the family wrote. "We want to honor the beautiful life Theresa lived and the immense love she poured into the world."

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information has been encouraged to contact the Fullerton Police Department.