FRESNO (KMJ) – The son of an 80-year-old grandmother, found murdered in her Central Fresno home early Wednesday morning, is now in police custody in connection with her death.
Investigators say she was discovered by her grand-daughter, and the call came to Fresno Police at around 8am.
“She was killed, it was a homicide, definitely”, says Lieutenant Joe Gomez. “Blunt force trauma to the upper body”.
The victim’s son, James Albert Thomas, is a person of interest and it has been established that there was a strained relationship between him and his 80 year old mother.
The 50 year old’s Harley Davidson motorcycle was later found close to the Highway 41 and Highway 99 interchange in South Fresno by a passing driver.
“A tow truck driver was going southbound on 41 around 7.30, he saw the motorcycle there and he thought that was odd. About an hour later he saw the motorcycle still there.
“So he called CHP and then they made that connection that it was related to our murder”.
James Albert Thomas was described as violent and not to be approached, but he is now under the supervision of Fresno Police.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew from the scene:
