Florida Woman Accused of Killing Roommate Dumped Diet Mountain Dew on Herself to Destroy DNA Evidence, Police Say
Aug. 17 2023, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
A woman in Florida has been accused of killing her 79-year-old roommate and then allegedly dumping Mountain Dew on herself in an attempt to remove any DNA evidence, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On July 1, an officer in Daytona Beach was flagged down about a house on fire, as Front Page Detectives reported.
Once inside the home, the officer reportedly found the body of Michael Cerasoli, who had multiple stab wounds to his torso and blunt force trauma to the back of his head, according to authorities.
In the victim's bedroom, detectives located a knife covered in blood near his body. They also found two cell phones, one belonging to Cerasoli and the other belonging to 35-year-old Nichole Maks, WFOR-TV reported.
The next morning, police located Maks in Holly Hill. When they made contact with her, police said she dropped a knife and a hammer. They also stated she had blood on her leg.
Maks allegedly changed her story multiple times while talking to police about Cerasoli’s death, detectives said.
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She claimed she was homeless but eventually admitted that she lives with Cerasoli, according to police. Then, she told officers that Cerasoli’s bedroom is upstairs and she never goes upstairs except to “feed her spiders,” detectives said, according to WFOR-TV.
Detectives asked her about the knife and hammer, and she became agitated and refused to continue cooperating without a lawyer, police said.
Rex Heuermann spends the majority of his time in a 10-by-6 jail cell.
Officers told Maks they were going to take her DNA, so she requested a drink and was given a Diet Mountain Dew.
Maks then allegedly poured the pop all over her body and hair “in an attempt to interfere with the possible evidence on [her body],” court records state.
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DNA testing was completed and showed that the victim’s DNA was on the blade of the knife found near his body and Maks’ DNA allegedly was found on the handle of the knife, WFOR-TV reported.
Maks was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and tampering with evidence, police said.
She remains jailed without bond.