VERO BEACH, Fla. (WKRC) - A welfare check at a Florida home resulted in the discovery of a 76-year-old woman dead and her grandson arrested on theft-related charges, authorities said.
Patricia Dibella was found dead around 8:15 p.m. Feb. 2 at a residence after family members reported they were unable to contact her, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, via WPEC.
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Deputies said 29-year-old Nicholas Ivey told investigators his grandmother was dead inside the home, the station reports. A deputy found Dibella on a bed in the master bedroom, where she was pronounced dead.
According to an arrest affidavit, per WPEC, Ivey told deputies he killed Dibella by snapping her neck, and, according to Treasure Coast Palm, "punching and stomping on her head while she was on the ground." He said Dibella had confronted him with a knife. Investigators said he admitted moving her body from the kitchen floor to the bed, and cleaning blood from the home.
Authorities also allege Ivey took Dibella’s vehicle and credit cards the following day and used them to make purchases for beer and cigarettes.
Ivey was arrested Feb. 3 on charges including grand theft auto, criminal use of personal identification, unlawful possession of stolen credit cards and fraudulent use of a credit card. He has not been charged in connection with Dibella’s death as the investigation continues. In a statement to WPBF, an Indian River County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said “formal murder charges are determined and filed as soon as certain evidence is processed.”
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