PA Mom Who Drove Car Into Ocean, Charged in Killing of Son, 11

The woman who drove the family's SUV from Horsham, Pa. to Cape May and then drove it into the ocean on Tuesday was charged Wednesday with the killing of her 11-year-old son.

The Montgomery County, Pa. District Attorney announced Wednesday the charging of Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead for the murder of her 11-year-old son, Matthew Whitehead.

Police were called to a house on the 500 block of Privet Road in Horsham Township, where they found the boy in the master bedroom.

Police found Matthew dead in bed in the master bedroom, where he had gone to sleep with his mother.

Detectives noted that the boy had ligature marks on the front and rear of his neck, as well as swelling of his face and obvious petechia to his eyes, all signs of strangulation, according to a statement Wednesday from the Office of the Montgomery County District Attorney.

The investigation found that Ruth DiRienzo-Whitehead killed her son after he went to sleep at about 9:30 pm Monday, then drove the family’s SUV to Cape May, where she drove the vehicle into the ocean just off Beach Avenue. It was later found by Cape May Police.

Police say that DiRienzo-Whitehead then walked to Wildwood Crest, where she was taken into custody by the Wildwood Crest Police and interviewed by detectives from the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and Horsham Police.

The Montco Court news quotes detectives as saying that “DiRienzo-Whitehead explained that she did not want Matthew to grow up with(the family's financial) struggles so she strangled him with her husband’s belt as he slept."

A search of the SUV by police discovered a black men’s dress belt on the floor of the driver’s side of the vehicle.