Police: Ocean City, NJ, Man With Mental Illness Arrested For Killing His Mother

Authorities in Cape May County say an Ocean City man who reportedly has mental health issues has been arrested for allegedly killing his mother.

The Ocean City Police Department say at about 4:00 Friday afternoon, they received a call from 46-year-old Jeffrey Surgent. During that call, he reportedly told them he suffers from mental illness and he just killed his mother.

Officers responded to Surgent's home on the 600 block of 6th Street and they located him and the body of his 74-year-old deceased mother.

Surgent was taken into custody without incident.

The incident is currently being investigated by the Ocean City Police Department's Detective Bureau, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, and the New Jersey Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.

Surgent has been charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

He is in police custody at a secure medical facility.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.