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By Mike Barnhardt

Enterprise Record

Authorities believe a man had been dead for more than a day before his body was found in a van in Advance last Wednesday.

His roommate has been charged with murder, telling Davie 911 Communications dispatchers what he had done.

When Davie sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home in the 800 block of Underpass Road, they found the body of Warren Douglas Maxwell, 61, inside of a van, said Davie Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Brian Jacobs.

Rivera Aguero Jr., 29, was charged with murder. He was taken into custody without privilege of bond, and was issued a $2 million bond Thursday in a first-appearance hearing in Davie District Court.

The suspect’s stepmother – who lives upstairs along with the suspect’s father – made the initial 911 call at 8:09 a.m on Sept. 11.

“She said her stepson had killed somebody … and had a body in the van,” Jacobs said. “He (Aguero) gets on the phone (and gives details).”

At his preliminary hearing last week, prosecutors said: “She thought that her stepson had probably killed someone. Her husband went down to the basement and saw blood all over the place, and also noticed that the carpet was cut. In plain view, through the window of the van, deputies on the scene did see a foot sticking up in the van, from the back of the van.”

The father also noticed that Maxwell wasn’t there, Jacobs said.

The suspect, Jacobs said, got on the phone and told dispatchers what had happened – that he had hit the victim in the head with a 20-pound barbell – and where the body was located. It was wrapped in that carpet. He did not give a motive for the incident.

The suspect came out with his hands in the air when deputies arrived.