In a shocking incident that unfolded on Friday, December 8, Jeffrey Surgent, a 46-year-old resident of Ocean City, allegedly killed his 74-year-old mother at Speitel Commons, their residence on the 300 block of E. 6th Street.
The Ocean City Police Department received a call Friday night, at 3:59 p.m. from Surgent himself, who claimed to be suffering from mental illness and confessed to the murder.
Responding swiftly, officers arrived at Surgent’s home to find the lifeless body of his elderly mother. Surgent was apprehended without incident.
Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland announced Surgent’s arrest, detailing the charges he faces. Surgent is charged with Murder in the 1st degree, Possession of Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in the 3rd degree, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in the 4th degree.
The investigation into this tragic event is ongoing and is a collaborative effort between the Ocean City Police Department Detective Bureau, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, and the New Jersey Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
Surgent is currently in police custody at a secure medical facility.
The authorities have not disclosed further details about the alleged motive or the type of weapon used in the incident.
This devastating event has left the Ocean City community in shock, as they grapple with the aftermath of a domestic tragedy.
The focus now turns to the legal proceedings as the judicial system prepares to address the charges against Surgent and uncover the details surrounding this disturbing case.