A Parkland man who was arrested on Monday for assault is now suspected of murdering his roommate.
The 47-year-old suspect was arrested for assaulting his father in front of Pierce County sheriff's deputies on Monday after deputies responded to a welfare check at the suspect's home on the 13500 block of 8th Avenue East. Child Protective Services had been trying to check on the suspect's 6-year-old daughter, according to a news release from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.
The suspect had locked his father out of the home for several days and refused to answer when CPS arrived. When deputies arrived at the home, the suspect allegedly assaulted his father in front of them. The suspect was booked and later charged with third-degree assault, resisting arrest and fourth-degree assault, the release said.
When deputies were at the suspect's home, they were unaware that his roommate was deceased in a trailer next to the house, the release said.
During the investigation Monday for the assault, the 6-year-old said her father strangled his friend. It was not disclosed when and where that allegedly happened nor that the friend was living in the trailer. Deputies did not have a reason to go inside the trailer the day of the first incident, the release said.
It wasn't until Wednesday afternoon when the suspect's father went to check on the roommate that he discovered the 37-year-old's body. At 3:04 p.m., deputies went to the property to investigate. Interviews were conducted, and investigators served a search warrant for the trailer and home, the release said.
The deceased man was considered a roommate because he would go in and out of the house to use the shower or other facilities. Second-degree murder was added to the suspect's booking. His 6-year-old daughter is currently living with her maternal grandmother, said Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Darren Moss.
The suspect, who has been in the Pierce County Jail since Monday, is being held on a $25,000 bail for the assault charges. He had not been charged with murder as of Thursday afternoon, according to court records.
