BARTOW, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) arrested an 18-year-old man for murder following the "violent death" of an 81-year-old man at an independent living group home on Bluebird Avenue in Bartow.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said they arrested Moses Ojeda, 18, for the death of Patrick Benway, 81.
WATCH: 18-year-old arrested after allegedly stabbing an 81-year-old man living at group home to death: PCSO
Sheriff Judd said Ojeda had just been moved to the group home a day prior after being released from a local hospital.
Detectives believe Ojeda went into Benway's bedroom and stabbed him over 100 times.
"What we know is that he died a violent death," Sheriff Judd said at a press conference on Sunday.
Sheriff Judd said Ojeda told detectives that he did not have a problem with the victim, but wanted to kill him because he was already dying.
In a news conference Sunday afternoon, Sheriff Judd said initial reports indicated Benway was last seen alive Saturday evening, and he was discovered dead shortly before noon on Sunday, prompting a 9-1-1 call to the Bartow Police Department.
Ray Sakowski lives a few houses down. He said there has not been any issues with the residents of the group home before.
“I’ve seen them walking around and they have always been so very polite so this is shocking to all of us here,” Sakowski said.
Judd said three other residents lived in the group home with the victim. It is managed by ET Home Care, LLC. Sakowski knows the woman who runs it.
“That house that this horrific act happened, she had recently purchased. She actually has three different homes in this area,” said Sakowski.
Following the attack, Ojeda told deputies that he cleaned the knife used and put it back in the kitchen, then removed his blood-stained clothing and placed it in his laundry basket.
Ojenda had been Baker Acted at least six times this year, according to PCSO. He is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.
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