A new California homeowner eager to move in made a gruesome discovery upon opening their bedroom door.
The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that the unidentified homeowner found the body of 84-year-old Salvatore Orefice in the Simi Valley house on a bed. The buyer had paid $430,000 for the house last month.
Simi Valley police Cmdr. Roy Jones told the LA Times that Mary Karacas, 75, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the elderly man’s death.
Police said the new homeowner called them to tell them about the discovery of the body. Authorities then called Karacas and told her to meet at the house, Jones said.
Mary Karacas
Karacas told detectives that she and Orefice got into an altercation and at some point Karacas said she shot the man. Karacas was subsequently placed in handcuffs.
She also told police that she had a relationship with Orefice, according to KTLA.
Jones said that Orefice and Karacas had 30 days to vacate the home after they sold it. It was unclear how long the body had been in the home.