MONTGOMERY COUNTY - A Pennsylvania family left in shambles after officials say an 11-year-old boy was killed by his own mother, who then tried to drive her car into the ocean at the Jersey Shore.Police were called to a house 500 block of Privet Road in Horsham Township Tuesday when a man said he discovered his son dead in the master bedroom.The boy's dad told police the 11-year-old had slept in bed with his mom the night prior, but the door was locked the next morning, and his wife's car was missing.Officials say an investigation revealed that the boy's mom, identified as Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead, killed her son after he went to sleep around 9:30 p.m.MORE HEADLINES:She then fled to Cape May and drove into the ocean until her car was inoperable.
After walking to Wildwood Crest, she was taken into custody.A belt was found on the floor of the partially submerged vehicle during a search, the district attorney's office says.The boy's death was determined to be ligature strangulation by homicide, according to an autopsy.DiRienzo-Whitehead is being held in Cape May County as she awaits extradition to Montgomery County for murder charges. .