Crime & Safety
Florida Man Charged with Slaying Grandmother in Nudist Colony Murder
A neighbor allegedly saw the 18-year-old place a body inside his grandmother's van.
A Tampa Bay-area teenager is awaiting arraignment after being charged with murdering his grandmother.
According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, a Silver Alert was issued for 74-year-old Sylvia Rosalie Schmitt early Monday morning after she was nowhere to be seen and her car was missing from her driveway.
A resident at Schmitt’s Paradise Lakes condo, a nudist community in Lutz, called 911 after she said she saw Brandon Machetto, 18, place a body inside his grandmother’s gold Honda Odyssey.
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About 10 a.m. Monday, a Pasco County Sheriff’s deputy reported seeing the Honda entering the gated community and Machetto behind the wheel. The officer stopped Machetto and found Schmitt inside the vehicle.
Machetto was charged with assaulting his grandmother once before, and had reportedly been living with her for the past several weeks.
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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office tells Patch that Machetto was charged with murder, and he is expected to stand before a judge for a bond hearing Tuesday.
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