Fridley man charged more than 2 years after fatal beating of his mother

A 23-year-old man has been charged with fatally beating his mother in her Twin Cities home more than two years ago.

Jake Arnold Ladwig, 23, of Fridley was charged Thursday in Anoka County District Court with second-degree murder and third-degree assault in connection with the death of 55-year-old Gara L. Ladwig on May 28, 2023, in the home where the two lived in the 6200 block of Ben More Drive NE.

Jake Ladwig, who has a significant autism spectrum disorder, was charged by summons while he continues to live in a group home in St. Paul, according to court records. He’s due in court on Sept. 12. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

Keith Ternes, spokesman for the County Attorney’s Office, declined to comment Friday about whether Jake Ladwig is mentally capable of participating in his own defense because “that has the potential to be an issue addressed at trial.”

As for the length of time it took to charge the son, Ternes said, “that same issue required some extensive review and consideration which, at least in part, has been a factor in the lengthy timeline for making any charging decisions.”

According to a criminal complaint and a related court filing:

Gara Ladwig’s body was found by her godson early in the evening of May 30, 2023, in the kitchen. The godson is a personal care attendant and was there to tend to Jake Ladwig.

A police officer arrived and saw that Gara Ladwig had numerous bruises on her body, significant injuries to her face and was cold to the touch. Police were unable to interview the son, who is nearly nonverbal.

A search of the home by law enforcement led to the seizure of a T-shirt and towels with blood on them, a hammer and drug paraphernalia.

An autopsy by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Gara Ladwig died two days before her body was found.

Ladwig’s daughter told a detective two days after her mother’s body was found that her brother had a history of aggressive and violent behavior toward their mother.

She added that her brother lacked the ability to care for himself, and her mother would at times be unresponsive to him. This would cause her brother to be violent toward their mother.