Ocean City man charged with decapitating 74-year-old mother

OCEAN CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- An Ocean City man is charged with murdering and decapitating his mother.

Jeffrey Surgent, 46, allegedly used a knife to kill his mother, Alexandria Surgent, 74.

According to court documents, the 911 call came in around 4:00 p.m. Friday.

Jeffrey Surgent reportedly told the dispatcher he had bipolar disorder and that he had just killed his mother.

When police arrived at the apartment building where Jeffrey lived on 6th Street, they discovered Surgent nude, lying on top of his mother's decapitated body.

Folks who were in the building were stunned.

On Friday, Janice Powers was visiting her father, who lives in the building, and tried to go to the second floor.

"I went to go do a load of laundry and it's on the second floor, and they had everything marked off and blankets. I was like, 'Oh my gosh,'" she said.

Powers had met Jeffrey Surgent over the course of her visits.

"We went to a BBQ," recalled Powers. "He just played with the kids and he was really nice. I don't know what to say. It was weird."

The building is part of the Ocean City Housing Authority, and police say surveillance footage was used in their investigation.

Surgent's family, who did not want to speak on camera on Tuesday, say Alexandria Surgent was a devoted and loving caretaker for her family members and was visiting Jeffrey that day.

Court papers say once police arrived, Jeffrey repeatedly apologized for killing his mother and was singing the song "Jesus Loves Me" as he was taken into custody.

Jeffrey Surgent is charged with murder and weapons offenses.

He is in custody in Cape May County.

Family members have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.