Dallas man arrested for murdering his aunt

DALLAS - Police arrested a man for brutally murdering his aunt inside her northeast Dallas apartment.

Ernest William Scruggs Jr., 29, is charged with capital murder and arson. He’s being held in the Dallas County jail on a $1 million bond.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, detectives were already looking for him because of a past case where he was suspected of trying to set the apartment he shared with his aunt on fire.

After 58-year-old Georgia Scruggs was found dead last Wednesday, detectives noticed Ernest had used her Lonestar card at Walmart in Garland. That’s where he was arrested Tuesday night.

Ernest confessed to killing Georgia. He provided details about the murder that were not released to the public, the affidavit states.

Georgia worked at a hair salon in Richardson and co-workers became concerned after she did not show up for work.

Those co-workers told FOX 4 she often fought with her nephew and described him as crazy. She told them she was worried about threats he allegedly made.

Police would only say Georgia died from “obvious homicidal violence.” Neighbors described the crime scene as gruesome.