A Massachusetts husband and father who was traveling to visit family was killed at a South Florida hotel, and a fellow guest has been charged with murder, according to an arrest report cited by the Daily Mail.
Investigators say Charles checked into the Rodeway Inn and Suites around 9 pm. The suspect, 59 year old Alphonso, had been staying at the hotel for about two months as part of a program that housed homeless people during the COVID 19 pandemic. Reports say he was on parole after an earlier conviction.
The arrest report says Charles asked the front desk about a check cashing store the next morning, had breakfast, and took a cab to Walmart before returning to his room. Investigators say Alphonso was seen following him that morning and that the two argued shortly after 10 am. Surveillance video skips at one point, but police believe the men went into the room together. Alphonso is seen leaving the room at 10:13 am.
A housekeeper told investigators she overheard two men arguing and recognized Alphonso’s voice. Charles was later found dead in the bathroom. The medical examiner reported severe blunt force trauma to the head, and the arrest report says his throat injury was consistent with being stomped on.
Alphonso denied killing Charles, and the report does not list a motive. He was charged with murder and a parole violation, booked into the Broward County Jail, and ordered held without bond at a court appearance last Thursday. The charges are allegations until proven in court.
Charles was a carpenter and builder from Martha’s Vineyard. His wife, Jackie, told the Martha’s Vineyard Times that the family is devastated and that she will miss her husband very much. A friend described him as a hard worker and a salt of the earth person.
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