A 26-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly strangling his 62-year-old mother.
On Monday, March 20, Ephrata police attended a home on Grant Road, Pa., for a check-up, where they found Lois Gift dead “with no obvious cause of death.”
The Lancaster County coroner found that Lois Gift died of strangulation, and her death was ruled a homicide.
After Ms Gift’s body was discovered, police attended the scene of a car accident involving a vehicle registered in her name.
The driver of the car was the victim’s son, Zachary Gift, and he was taken to hospital. Police said he was living with his mother.
On Wednesday March 22, police said Mr Gift had a fight with his mother in her bedroom on Sunday March 19, ‘as he tried to steal her purse and car keys’.
Mr Gift then allegedly choked and strangled his mother before fleeing with her purse, phone, wallet and car keys.
Police say Mr. Gift was arrested and charged with criminal homicide, strangulation, robbery by unlawful seizure and robbery.