COCOA, Fla. – A Cocoa man was arrested Sunday after his mother was found dead in their shared home, police said.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers responded to 2111 Otterbein Ave. on Sunday for a welfare check after the victim’s granddaughter reported she hadn’t seen or heard from 80-year-old Kathleen Ruhlander. The granddaughter told officers that the victim’s son, 53 year-old Robert Ruhlander, would not allow her to see her grandmother, the affidavit shows.
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Upon arrival, an officer said they found Robert Ruhlander outside. When asked where his mother was, the suspect said his sister had picked her up in early December and took her to Spring Hill and then New York, the affidavit read.
According to the affidavit, the officer then left the home, but later returned after getting a call from another one of Kathleen Ruhlander’s grandchildren, saying she also tried to get a hold of her grandmother when the suspect told her she was “taking a nap” and couldn’t talk. Police said the victim’s neighbor added he believed Kathleen Ruhlander was dead inside the home.
When officers returned to the home, the suspect refused to let them in due to the condition of the home, the affidavit read.
Police said they returned with a Department of Children and Families Adult Protective Investigator and placed Robert Ruhlander under arrest due to an outstanding child support warrant before searching the home.
Officers said they detected a foul odor, and found the body of an elderly woman, believed to be Kathleen Ruhlander, lying on the bed.
According to investigators, the home was filled with mold and the bedroom where the body was found appeared to have urine and feces all over the mattress and floor.
Robert Ruhlander faces charges for failure to report a death and neglect of an elderly person.
He is currently in the Brevard County Jail on a $5,842 bond.
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