75-year-old Sharpes man found dead, roommate faces charge of murder
A Sharpes man was arrested Monday and charged with killing a 75-year-old man earlier that morning, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Juan Ortiz, 37, faces charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He is being held at Brevard County Jail without bond.Second-degree indicates the killing wasn't planned.
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Brevard County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a residence on South Ridgewood Drive in Sharpes at about 11 a.m. Monday after a resident called and said Ortiz said he killed someone, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The caller told them Ortiz, who the caller did not know, had left the residence on foot.
Deputies searched the area and located Ortiz in the backyard of the residence attempting to conceal Juan Nunez’s body, the Sheriff’s Office said.
During their investigation, the Sheriff’s Office found that Ortiz moved in with Nunez, the owner of the residence, on Sunday. Monday morning, Ortiz armed himself with a machete and hit Nunez multiple times, killing him.
The Sheriff’s Office is still gathering information of the events leading up to Nunez’s death.
Mike Pirolo of the public defender's office, who is representing Ortiz, was not available to comment.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Sharpes man faces murder charge after 75-year-old roommate found dead
