This is the chilling smirk of a son who has just been charged with beheading his own mother.

Police were called in when worried neighbours spotted the woman’s pet dog soaked in her blood.

The mother, from Laguna Beach, California, was reportedly found dead in her mobile home on Sunday morning.

She has now been identified by the Laguna Beach Police Department (LBPD) as 61-year-old Megan Estes Hampton, the Laguna Beach Independent reports.

Her friends saw Hampton’s mastiff covered in blood and rushed inside to find the decapitated corpse, according to Fox 11.

Hampton’s son, Matthew Bryson McDonald, 34, of Laguna Beach, was reportedly taken into custody on Sunday afternoon.

Megan Estes Hampton was found dead in her mobile home on Sunday

On Monday, police officials confirmed McDonald was the prime suspect in his mother’s death and is being charged with murder.

Police Chief Laura Farinella said officers were called at 10.45am on Sunday.

“Upon arrival, (officers) were met by neighbours who said that they had heard some argument and screaming coming from one of the residences,” Farinella said.

“They went to check on this female resident, and when they got inside, they found her deceased.”

Neighbours said they heard screaming coming from one of the homes

Farinella told the paper those neighbours were also able to give police a description of McDonald, whom they thought was a possible suspect.

LBPD shared that information, as well as a description of Hampton’s car, which he was driving, with all Orange County law enforcement agencies.

At around noon, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle in San Clemente that matched the description and McDonald was taken into custody.McDonald was booked and charged with murder and his bail is set at $1million (£824,000).

Farinella confirmed on Sunday that Hampton was the only person in the house when her neighbours discovered her, and that McDonald lived with her in the mobile home, the paper reports.

LBPD Sgt. Jim Cota said there was a “history” between Hampton and her son that neighbours were aware of, adding that McDonald faces some “mental challenges