OCALA, Fla. — A bag of Cheetos turned out to be a dangerously cheesy snack for an Ocala felon after detectives say the man's fingerprint was found on a bag of orange snack dust, helping secure a link between him and a Marion County slaying.
- Convicted felon accused of fatally stabbing Elijah Coleman
- Detectives: Print of suspect's finger found on Cheetos bag
- Bag was found on rocking chair in victim's bedroom
Orenzo Fitzpatrick, 30, was charged with murder in the October 18 fatal stabbing of Elijah Coleman in the Whispering Sands neighborhood, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Coleman, 24, was found on the front patio of an apartment at 2190 SE 50th Court. He was unresponsive and not breathing, a report said.
“A large amount of blood was discovered near the victim’s body,” the report said. “Medics responded to the incident location and confirmed that the victim was deceased.”
The victim’s car, a Chevrolet Sonic, was missing, prompting deputies to issue a lookout for the vehicle.
Investigators later found surveillance footage from the Fountain of Hope Deliverance Temple at 210 NW 20th Avenue that showed a man with a red shirt getting out of the driver’s side of a Chevrolet Sonic and walking toward Fitzpatrick’s home at 1943 NW 2nd Street.
Witnesses told deputies they saw blood gushing from Coleman while begging onlookers to call 911. They also said they saw a younger man with a red shirt entering Coleman’s unit and later running from it with a knife in his hand.
They said the younger man drove away in the victim’s car.
Fitzpatrick was released from state prison after serving time for nine felonies, including carjacking, grand theft, and cocaine-related charges.
Detectives found messages on Coleman’s phone with a person who said he was released from prison June 2 — Fitzpatrick’s release date — and he wanted to go on the run.
The number was linked to Fitzpatrick, who matched the description of the murder suspect given by witnesses, a report says.
Detectives staked out Fitzpatrick’s registered address for several days, but he didn’t show up.
The Cheetos bag provided another piece of evidence that pointed to Fitzpatrick.
The bag was found inside the victim’s residence on a rocking chair in a bedroom.
“The bag was processed for latent prints. Ultimately the defendant’s left middle finger was identified on the bag,” an arrest report said. “During the execution of a vehicle search warrant on the victim’s vehicle, a latent print was lifted from the exterior passenger door identifying the defendant’s right thumbprint.”
Fitzpatrick was arrested on November 8 for an unrelated case and was questioned about Coleman’s slaying. He gave conflicting statements and was arrested on one count of homicide. He is being held at the Marion County Jail.