DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A central Florida handyman has been sentenced to life in prison for killing an 85-year-old Volusia County Sheriff's Office volunteer.
As part of a deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty, 49-year-old Ronald Citarelli pleaded no contest to murder on Monday.
Authorities say Citarelli beat Barbara Minardi to death at her Deltona home in December.
Citarelli had recently been hired to fix Minardi's floor. The Daytona Beach News-Journal (http://goo.gl/ksniqJ ) reports that Citarelli indicated in a text message to his daughter that he was returning to steal cash and property.
Minardi's daughter and son-in-law found her body Dec. 1, and Citarelli — whose criminal record dates back 30 years — was arrested a short time later.
___
Information from: Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal, http://www.news-journalonline.com
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
