A man has been arrested for allegedly murdering a woman who was found dead near a dumpster in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Altavious Powell was arrested on Thursday, February 19, and charged with premeditated murder, according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
Fort Lauderdale Police officers responded to the 200 block of Northwest 15th Avenue on Wednesday, February 18, shortly before 7:30 a.m., according to NBC Miami. Upon their arrival, authorities found the woman’s body.
The woman has since been identified as 30-year-old Daneshia Heller, per the outlet.
Police quickly launched an investigation into the matter and Powell, 34, was arrested on charges unrelated to Heller’s death. However, detectives were soon able to identify Powell as a homicide suspect in the case and he was charged with premeditated murder.
Powell was then taken into custody and is currently being held without bond, according to online documents viewed by Us.
It is not currently clear if Powell has entered a plea or retained legal representation following his arrest.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
It is not currently clear if Powell and Heller knew each other prior to the incident or if Powell had a motive in the killing.
At the time Heller’s body was found, 7News reported that she was covered by pieces of cardboard. The dumpster is located near an apartment complex and on the other side of a fence shared with North Fork Elementary School.
“You have kids getting up early in the morning, going to school, having to catch the bus, so how many people walked by that body this morning,” one concerned resident wondered while talking to 7News after Heller’s body was discovered.
Before the body was identified, several residents were left in shock over the situation. “That’s someone’s life. It’s kind of shaken up our neighborhood,” one person said.
“For me, it hurts because that’s somebody’s life. No one has the right to take anyone’s life,” another resident told the outlet.
Another resident that lives near the crime scene told the outlet that her son allegedly saw something that seemed a little off on the night of Tuesday, February 17.
“He saw a man and a lady in an alley that — they were smoking, and that was about it,” the woman said. “He said the man looked bad, but that was about it, like health wise, or maybe he wasn’t feeling good. These apartments are always empty, so it could possibly be a squatter, you know, it could be anybody.”
Additionally, several residents from the area have expressed their concerns about squatters who hang out behind the apartments near where the body was found.
“We have homeless people on the back side of fences that are supposed to protect us but they don’t protect us. It’s not really safe,” one resident said.
Detectives initially said they didn’t see any injuries on Heller’s body and the condition she was in has not yet been shared, per the outlet.
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