Irvine woman charged with murder of her 92-year-old mother, who was found drowned in her pool

A 62-year-old Irvine woman was charged Thursday with killing her 92-year-old mother for financial gain.

Cynthia Roberta Strange is facing a special circumstances murder charge related to the death of Ruth Strange at her mother’s Huntington Beach home.

Officers around 11 a.m. on Sept. 4 responded to Ruth Strange’s home in the 6800 block of Vista Del Sol Drive. Someone had contacted police saying they had been unable to reach Strange, and requested the officers carry out a welfare check.

The officers found Ruth Strange dead in the pool of her home, with multiple cuts to her head, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. An autopsy determined she had drowned.

Officers on Tuesday arrested Cynthia Strange after “information and evidence” led them to identify her as a suspect in the killing of her mother, according to a Huntington Beach Police Department statement.

Cynthia Strange is being held without bail at the Central Jail complex in Santa Ana. She appeared in court Thursday, but did not enter a plea. Her arraignment was continued until Oct. 19.

Court records did not yet show if Strange has been assigned a public defender.

If convicted of murder for financial gain, Strange faces a minimum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. By charging her with a special circumstances murder, prosecutors have the option of pursuing the death penalty.