Juniata Park man, 57, charged in strangling of his mother

A 57-year-old man faces homicide charges for strangling his 81-year-old mother in their Juniata Park home, police said Tuesday.

James Ashby, who shared a home on the 4200 block of Malta Street with his mother and younger sister, was charged with murder and possession of an instrument of crime in the death of Margaret Ashby.

Police sources said Ashby confessed to the killing. They said he argued with his mother at some point, then strangled her about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The motive was not known. Ashby's sister was home at the time but was not injured.

The street where the family lived is lined with newer rowhouses with long front lawns. Neighbor Lourdes Romero said that Margaret Ashby had a heart condition.

When neighbors tried to get city permission to close the street to traffic so they could have a block party, Romero said, Margaret Ashby complained.

"She couldn't handle the noise," Romero said.

Though neighbors said Ashby and his mother had lived on the block for a long time, they didn't know Ashby well.

"He never talked to anyone," said neighbor Nancy Negron, who has lived on the block for 11 years. "The mother would always say 'Hi.' "