Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Monday arrested the son of apparent murder victim Denise Hallowell, 57, who was found dead on July 13.
Denise Hallowell’s son, Carlos Hallowell, 17, was allegedly sleeping in his room at the time of this horrific murder and said he was awakened by their dogs barking.
He called into the Sheriff’s Office once he discovered his mother’s brutally murdered body, the CCSO said.
After nine weeks of investigation, scouring through all types of evidence and following up on every lead,Carlos was arrested and charged with First-Degree Premeditated Murder.
“No two cases are ever the same and this particular case had many unique technological challenges making it one of a kind,” said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. “The tireless work of our High Tech Crimes Unit, and the assistance of The United States Secret Service, brought the much needed hidden digital evidence to the forefront paving the way for the arrest.”
However, the case is not over yet; the Sheriff’s Office said on Monday.
In a statement, the CCSO said, “Our primary focus was to obtain enough evidence to get Carlos off the streets and behind bars. Moving forward, Detectives will continue their work in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office to obtain a successful prosecution and ensure Carlos Hallowell is convicted for his alleged crime.”