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SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A grand jury in Seminole County returned with an indictment Monday for the suspect in the 2023 murder of a 74-year-old man outside a home in Sanford.
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The investigation began on Saturday, August 26th at 12:45 p.m. when Seminole County deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a man found dead at a home on Nova Drive.
Deputies arrived to find the victim, Kenneth Vitagliano, lying outside the front door.
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The Seminole County Medical Examiner later ruled Vitagliano’s death a homicide as a result of multiple “sharp force” injuries.
Investigators say they initially determined Vitagliano was last seen alive the previous night and learned his 2001 Subaru was missing.
According to the State Attorney’s Office for Seminole County, investigators used security video to place 29-year-old Elliott Jeltes at the home just before midnight on the 25th and Vitagliano’s Subaru being driven away just after midnight on the 26th.
Seminole Grand Jury indicts Elliott JELTES (29) for First-Degree Premeditated Murder (CF), in the 2023 violent death of Kenneth Vitagliano (74) in Sanford. JELTES was captured in Grand Rapids MI and will face extradition to Florida - More at: https://t.co/ufq9hxnNp9 pic.twitter.com/ZbVcWJLCLW
— State Attorney 18th Circuit FL (@SA18PIO) April 16, 2024
Two days later, police in Grand Rapids, Michigan arrested Jeltes at the scene of an apparent home invasion as he was attempting to get into Vitagliano’s Subaru.
Jeltes has been locked up in Kent County since then on a $1-million bond, charged with first-degree home invasion and carrying a concealed weapon.
After hearing testimony from investigators with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the grand jury there returned with indictments Monday charging Jeltes with first-degree premeditated murder and grand theft of a motor vehicle in connection to Vitagliano’s death.
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Jeltes will face extradition back to Seminole County on a date still to be determined, at which point the arrest warrant will be issued.
No trial date has been set in the case.
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