The case of a California grandmother's murder has left a community in shock and grief, with a desperate search ending in a tragic discovery of her body inside her car in a church parking lot.
Prosecutors allege that Emmanuel Wesley, 23, of Santa Ana, shot his 61-year-old mother, Theresa Jones, twice in the back while she sat behind the wheel of her vehicle outside the Fullerton Police Department on the Fourth of July.
A disturbing video captured by surveillance cameras allegedly shows the moments surrounding the killing, with Jones pulling up outside the police department around 2:46 p.m. on July 4 with Wesley riding in the back seat.
According to prosecutors, Jones suddenly slumped over in the driver's seat before Wesley climbed out of the back seat, pushed her body into the passenger seat, and drove away.
Four days after Jones' disappearance, on July 11, officers found her body inside her vehicle, which had been abandoned in the parking lot of a church in Fullerton.
Prosecutors allege that Jones had been shot twice in the back, and Wesley has been charged with murder in her death.
Wesley has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bail in the Orange County Jail, facing up to 50 years to life in prison if convicted of murder and the firearm enhancement.
Jones' family remembered her as a devoted Christian whose faith shaped every part of her life, and as a loving mother and grandmother who always put the needs of her family above her own.
The family described Jones as smart, funny, and full of life, saying her vibrant personality earned her the nickname "Cardi B."
"The death of any human being is a tragedy," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "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."
