Baltimore man charged with murder of his mother, police say

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore man was arrested and charged with the murder of his mother, according to police.

On November 15, Baltimore Police officers responded to a house in the 1600 block of Druid Hill Avenue around 2:37 p.m. for reports of an unresponsive person.

Once on the scene, officers found a woman – later identified as 64-year-old Joyce Gaskins – unresponsive in the home. She was pronounced dead on the scene, officers said.

A 25-year-old man first identified as a family member of Gaskins was also on the scene.

According to police reports, Gaskins' son, 25-year-old Ajay Wiggins, was removed from the home. Shortly after, officers determined he was mentally ill.  

He was taken to a hospital for psychological evaluation and treatment, according to officers.

On December 5, the cause of Gaskins' death was determined to be asphyxiation, officers said. The Office of the Medical Examiner reported finding undissolved pills in Gaskins' mouth, according to a police report.

While being treated at the hospital, Wiggins told staff that he killed his mother and put pills in her mouth to make it look like she overdosed, the police report said.

On Friday, Dec. 16, Ajay Wiggins, 25, was arrested and charged with the murder of his mother, according to officers. He was taken to the Central Booking Intake Facility.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available by calling the 988 helpline.