A man was arrested Tuesday after the brutal murder of an Uber Eats driver who was dismembered, allegedly after a food delivery, in what Florida officials described as a "demonic" crime.
Oscar Adrian Solis, 30, is charged with murder while engaged in robbery in the death of Randall William Cooke, 59, according to Pasco County court records. Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco announced the arrest, describing the case as a "horrific crime of passion."
"This person, you know, we always say the word 'evil,' but this is demonic," Nocco said.
Cooke's wife reported him missing on April 19 after he failed to return home or answer his phone, even though he had sent her a text saying he was on his last delivery of the night, according to a complaint filed in court Tuesday.
Pasco County sheriff's detectives went to the site of Cooke's last known delivery and spoke with Solis' roommate, Glenn Heil, who allowed detectives access to security video. A clip from 6:56 p.m. showed Cooke at the door with a delivery bag, but it then cuts off after about 30 seconds.
Video from cameras in the back of the home showed men carrying large black trash bags out of the home the next morning. Heil gave a detective written consent to open trash bags, at least one of which contained "identifiable human remains," the complaint said.
A search warrant was obtained, and trash bags were sent to the medical examiner's office unopened to preserve the potential evidence, the complaint said.
Authorities found Cooke's wallet and keys in Solis' bedroom, according to the complaint.
Cooke's vehicle was also found about a third of a mile from the home and searched. A trash bag with bloody rags, paper towels and a timecard with Solis' name on it were found inside the car, the complaint said.
Nocco said Tuesday that authorities have not identified a motive and that it was Solis' father who initially ordered the food on his son's behalf.
"It's just one of the things you can never answer why," Nocco said. "And that's why I feel horrible for the family."
A spokesperson for Uber said in a statement that the company has been in close contact with the sheriff's office.
"We are heartbroken by the news of this horrific crime," it said. "There is no reason why Mr. Cooke shouldn’t be home with his family today, and we are keeping his loved ones in our thoughts."
Court records show that a judge revoked bond in Solis' case, and it does not appear he has retained an attorney.
Heil told detectives that his original lease was with Solis' father but that he moved in with his girlfriend and that Solis had been living in the home for the past two to three months. Heil, his wife and his daughter left the home last week to stay at a hotel, because they did not feel safe in the home with him, according to the complaint.
Solis was recently released from prison in Indiana and had moved in January to Florida, where he failed to register as a convicted felon in the county, Nocco said. Indiana court records show Solis was sentenced in a 2011 case of auto theft and burglary.
Nocco said Tuesday that Solis had ties to the MS-13 gang and had been involved in a prison stabbing.