A homeless man was arrested Tuesday and charged with the murder of an 85-year-old Deltona woman, police said.
49-year-old Ronald Citarelli was taken into custody and has been charged first degree murder in the death of Barbara Minardi, 85.
Investigators say, Minardi’s daughter and son-in-law went to check on her Monday evening, after their telephone calls went unanswered. The couple found Minardi dead inside her home on Omaha Drive and her car missing.
Investigators also say, Citarelli was known to Minardi, as he had recently installed some flooring in her home. Minardi’s home had also been burglarized.
Working on a tip earlier today, deputies spotted Minardi’s vehicle at a residence on Comstock Drive, about 7.5 miles from the crime scene.
Deputies staked out the location and shortly after observed Citarelli walking away from the residence on Comstock Drive where he had spent the night with an acquaintance. He was arrested without incident.
The Medical Examiner is yet to rule on the official cause of Minardi’s death, but preliminary results suggest that she died from blunt force trauma.
Citarelli is being held without bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.
