PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — The Pinellas Park Police Department arrested a person they say killed a man in an abandoned home in Pinellas Park.
Officers were called to an abandoned house Wednesday afternoon off Park Boulevard after receiving a call about a dead person inside. Once on scene, a news release explains police were able to find the dead man inside. They say a friend of the man stopped by to see him and found him already passed.
The agency says through an investigation, they were able to identify the man as 65-year-old Joseph Maiden from Pinellas Park. He's reportedly homeless and had been staying inside the house for an extended period of time.
Fast forward to Friday morning, detectives with the police department say they were able to arrest Miguel Haisten in connection with the murder of Maiden.
The agency believes that Maiden and Haisten, who's also homeless, were involved in an ongoing argument over who was living in the abandoned house.
Detectives were able to find information that actually proved Maiden was alive inside before Haisten arrived at the home around 11 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Police say Haisten forced his way into the house with what is believed to be a large plaster-cast yard statue, which he then reportedly used to attack Maiden.
After the attack, the police department says Haisten ran away from the scene. He was later arrested at the Pinellas County Justice Center where he had a court appearance scheduled on an unrelated misdemeanor charge.
Haisten is now facing a first-degree murder charge and is being held without bond.
The investigation is ongoing with no other arrests expected to be made.
