The mother of the suspect in the CEO’s killing told police that a person of interest could be her son, sources say

The family of the man accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO had reported him missing last month, and his mother told police her son could be the person seen on surveillance footage a day before his arrest, the law enforcement sources told NBC News.

The family of Luigi Mangionethe man police believe killed CEO Brian Thompson in New York City reported him missing to San Francisco police on November 18th, about two weeks before December 4th. ambush shootingdisplays a missing persons flyer.

Mangione’s mother said she last spoke to her son on July 1 and that he had been working in San Francisco, the flyer said.

Mangione, 26, has been charged with murder in New York in Thompson’s killing, which police say was targeted and may have been motivated because of Thompson’s position with the health insurance company.

The murder triggered a large manhunt that included the wide distribution of surveillance images of a person of interest and a $60,000 reward.

After the killing, a San Francisco police officer believed the photos of the person of interest bore similarities to the photo of Mangione from the missing person report, several law enforcement officials said.

San Francisco police contacted the FBI about the possible identity of the man in the photo, the FBI said.

The tip from San Francisco police came in on Dec. 6, and police contacted Mangione’s mother two days later, on Sunday, two law enforcement sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. She told investigators the man in the photo could be Mangione, they said.

The next day, Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was recognized at a McDonald’s restaurant, officials have said.

Mangione’s mother, relatives and his attorney in Pennsylvania did not respond to multiple requests for comment Friday.

New York police have said they found a gun ballistically matched to the killing and a handwritten document referencing the health insurance industry.

Shell casings found after the shooting had the words “deny,” “delay” and “set off” written on them, NYPD Detective Chief Joseph Kenny has said.

After the killing, people online and elsewhere vented their anger against the health insurance industry and the health care system in the United States, in some cases with “wanted” posters by at least two other managing directors. There have also been threats.

Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, has condemned what he called vitriol in the wake of the killing, and defended the actions of his companyy.

IN an op-ed in The New York Times published Friday, Witty wrote that the health care system in the United States “doesn’t work as well as it should,” but that his company was trying to improve it. UnitedHealth Group is the largest private health insurance company in the country.

Magione was not insured by UnitedHealthcare and neither were his parents, UnitedHealth Group said. Kenny has said the company may have been targeted because of its size.

Mangione is in jail in Pennsylvania, where he has been charged with weapons, forgery and other charges. He is currently contesting extradition to New York.

Mangione’s attorney said he will plead not guilty to all charges.

Mangione’s family said in a statement after his arrest that all they know about the incident is what they have seen in the news media.

“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. Our prayers go out to Brian Thompson’s family and we ask people to pray for Luigi,” the family said. “We are devastated by this news.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com