MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — An arrest was made Friday in the death of a 73-year-old man whose body was found inside his McKees Rocks home earlier this week, police said.
Benito Nicoletti was found dead in his home in the 1200 block of Vine Street late Wednesday night, police said.
Channel 11’s Jennifer Tomazic reported that the discovery was made after Nicoletti’s family had not seen him and asked police to check on him.
Authorities said Nicoletti’s car, a dark gray 2015 Chrysler 300, was missing when they arrived at the scene. Police said it was later found Thursday morning on Woodward Street, which was about a half mile from Nicoletti’s home.
The medical examiner ruled Nicoletti’s death a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.
Authorities arrested Branden Frazier, 25, in connection with Nicoletti’s death, charging him with homicide, burglary, receiving stolen property, theft of a motor vehicle and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.%
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According to the criminal complaint, several witnesses placed Frazier in and around Nicoletti’s home in the days before and after the homicide and linked him to Nicoletti’s missing car.
Frazier allegedly encountered one man inside an apartment building a few houses up from Nicoletti’s, asking him where he could buy a gun, the complaint said.
Several others noticed Nicoletti’s car, which one witnesses saw Frazier getting in and out of the vehicle near Mancini’s Bakery. The same witness said she saw Frazier run behind in an alley. According to the complaint, when police retraced the route, they found a wallet, keys to the stolen car and a debit card belonging to Nicoletti.
Frazier was lodged Friday night in the Allegheny County Jail to await arraignment on his charges.
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