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A man who came to deliver a washer-dryer to an elderly Florida women bludgeoned her, doused her in acetone and set her on fire, cops said Tuesday after charging him with murder.
The 75-year-old from Boca Raton was viciously attacked on Monday and died Tuesday.
Police charged Jorge Dupre Lachazo, 21, with murder, aggravated battery on a person 65 or older and arson causing great bodily harm. He is being held without bond at Palm Beach County Jail, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. Police had not yet released the identity of the woman Tuesday afternoon.
The horror began on Monday at about 9:15 a.m., Boca Raton Police Services said in a statement, when the city’s police and fire rescue teams responded to a call.
Emergency crews “found an elderly female unconscious and suffering from burns and trauma injuries,” police said. She was rushed to the hospital, burned, bleeding and in critical condition with severe head trauma.
David Gonzalez, the delivery truck driver, told police he and Lachazo had installed a washer-dryer on behalf of Best Buy at the woman’s home and that he had gone outside to make some phone calls while his colleague stayed back to answer any questions about her purchases.
Suddenly, he heard screams. Entering the home, Gonzalez “saw blood and the victim on the floor,” police said.
He ran outside and called 911, as Lachazo jumped into their delivery truck and sped off, police said. A cop saw the fleeing vehicle, stopped it and apprehended Lachazo.
Lachazo, wearing shorts, was sweating and shaking when police stopped him, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. There was ash on his lower legs, and the hair was burned.
Inside the house, authorities found blood on the laundry room’s tiled floor, burn marks on the washing machine and walls, and charred degree and clothing on the floor, along with a “strong chemical odor,” the Sun Sentinel said.
Nearby were a bloody wooden mallet and a glass wine bottle encrusted with blood and hair, along with a broken pair of glasses, police told the newspaper. There was a can of acetone near the stove, which was pulled away from the wall, and Lachazo’s fingerprints were on the can. In addition the can’s top was on the laundry room floor, police said.
“During an interview, Lachazo admitted that he struck the victim and doused her with a liquid chemical,” police said, noting that he’d also admitted to using cocaine and marijuana earlier in the day. “Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to her injuries and has passed away. We offer our sincere condolences to her family and loved ones.”
The two men work for a subcontractor, JB Home Delivery, which was not available for comment.
Until now, Best Buy was entrusting the smaller companies with conducting background checks and vetting those who deliver and install appliances. Now the corporation is reconsidering its policy. The Boca Raton store was closed on Tuesday out of respect for the victim, the company said in a statement.
“Best Buy requires third-party companies doing delivery and installation on our behalf to perform background checks and drug tests on all individuals entering the home,” the company said in a statement to the Daily News.
“One of our customers in the Boca Raton, Florida area was tragically attacked yesterday and has since passed away,” Best Buy CEO Corie Barry said. “We are profoundly sorry and offer our deepest sympathies to her family. Out of respect for them, we have closed our Boca Raton store today.”
Best Buy is cooperating fully with authorities and has “suspended our relationship with the small, local company that was subcontracted to deliver to the customer’s home,” the company said.