Florida Man Robert Ruhlander, 53, of Cocoa, is in the Brevard County Jail after Police discovered he was living in a home with his deceased Mother’s Body.
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Cocoa Police Officers were dispatched to the Ruhlander Home off Otterbein Avenue for a wellness check on 80-year-old Kathleen Ruhlander at the request of one of her grandchildren.
The granddaughter told Cocoa police that she tried to visit her grandmother, but Robert would not allow her.
When police arrived, they spoke with Robert, and he told them his mother was not at home and that she had been picked up in early December by another family member to go to Spring Hill, then New York, the affidavit said.
Police left the scene but were re-dispatched after a second grandchild called asking for a welfare check. She told police that when she asked to speak to her grandmother on the phone, Robert told her that his mother was taking a nap.
“I called all the time, but he kept saying, ‘you know, she’s sleeping. She’s sleeping. She’s taking a nap,'” Mosher said according to WESH2 News
READ THE FULL STORY: Central Florida man found living in home with his dead mother
While on the scene, a man living in a shed on the property told police that he believed Kathleen was dead inside the home! The man had not heard Kathleen’s oxygen machine for a long time and later told police the door to the house is usually left open but has been shut for about a month now.
When Police asked if they could enter the home, Ruhlander refused.
Police left and returned with a Florida Department of Children and Families adult protective investigator. Ruhlander still refused them entry. While at the home, it was confirmed via teletype that Ruhlander had an active warrant for non-payment of support. He was arrested for the warrant.
Police entered the home and discovered Kathleen Ruhlander’s body lying on a bed and was declared dead by officers at the scene.
Cocoa Police obtained a search warrant and began a full search of the house. They found urine and feces on the mattress and floor in Kathleen’s bedroom, with a “large amount” of mold growing in the home’s common area, while Ruhlander’s own bedroom was “kept and organized.”
Investigators determined Kathleen Ruhlander was being neglected before her death.
Ruhlander was transported to the Brevard County Jail and charged with failure to report a death and neglect of an elderly or disabled person. He was held on a $5,842 bond.
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