Nelson Santoni strangles neighbor during burglary, police say

Man faces first-degree murder charge

NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. – A South Florida man confessed to strangling his neighbor who confronted him while he was burglarizing her home last weekend, police said.

Nelson Santoni was arrested Wednesday on a charge of first-degree murder.

According to a police report, Santoni was burglarizing an apartment on Northeast 118th Street in northeast Miami-Dade County when he was confronted by a woman who lived there.

Jimmy Henderson told Local 10's Ross Palombo that woman was his 52-year-old wife, Brenda.

"She didn't trust that guy," Henderson said. "She always told me that."

Santoni used a cord to strangle her and then continued to ransack the home, even stealing her car, the report said.

The victim's body was discovered Tuesday.

Neighbors said Santoni lived next door to the victim and recently lost his job.

Santoni was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.