Woman 'doused herself in Mountain Dew to erase DNA of murdered roommate, 79'
A woman stabbed her elderly roommate to death before dousing herself in Diet Mountain Dew to erase his DNA, police claim.
Nichole Maks, 35, was arrested in Florida for allegedly killing her 79-year-old roommate, beating and stabbing him to death in the home they shared. She then set the house on fire trying to conceal evidence and fled the scene, investigators allege.
She was charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of tampering with evidence, and one count of resisting arrest with violence in the slaying of Michael Cerasoli.
Authorities in Daytona Beach responded to an emergency call at 1:46am on July 1, 2023, regarding a fire at a home. Firefighters put out the fire and then discovered the body of Michael Cerasoli, 79, face-down on the floor in his bedroom on the home's top floor.
Maks has been charged with the murder of her roommate, 79-year-old Michael Cerasoli (Google Maps)According to court records seen by Law&Crime, the victim appeared to have suffered blunt force trauma to the back of his head and multiple stab wounds. Police that rushed to the scene recovered a bloody knife near the victim’s body and two cell phones, while blood spatter was also located on the walls.
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Police said that one of the phones belonged to Maks, who was not home at the time. Then, at about 3.30am, a detective spotted Maks walking barefoot near a restaurant in Holly Hill. When he made contact, she allegedly "dropped a knife and a hammer" in his presence.
The detective noted that Maks appeared to have blood on her leg and on her ripped shirt. As she was being questioned by police, Maks reportedly gave contradictive statements. Initially, she claimed she was living on the streets for the past four years.
Maks was then found walking barefoot near a restaurant (Google Maps)She was then shown a photo of Cerasoli and at first denied knowing him but then, after she was pressed she admitted that she had been living with him. She also denied having seen him on that day, but later said she was at home with him earlier.
Due to her inconsistent statements about the victim, Maks was taken into custody. She then claimed she’d never been in the victim’s room but would sometimes go to the second floor of the home to "feed her spiders."
Maks initially denied having a knife and hammer on her when spotted by police before allegedly confessing to possessing the items. When asked about the fire, police said Maks became "agitated" and asked for an attorney.
Later, police told Maks they had a warrant and would take a sample of her DNA. Maks then requested a Diet Mountain Dew, which was provided. The affidavit then states: "Maks began to procrastinate while drinking the soft drink then when [a detective] attempted to grab the can of soda from Maks’ hands.
"Maks began to resist and began pouring the can of soda all over her body and hair and pulling away from officers in attempts to interfere with the possible evidence on Maks’ body. Maks then began pulling and kicking officers while trying to secure Maks in the vehicle. Due to Maks’ actions, she was charged with tampering with evidence and resisting arrest with violence."
Detectives said the DNA from blood on the knife found next to the victim matched the sample taken from Maks. She is being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court for her arraignment on September 5.
Although it is not confirmed that rinsing with Mountain Dew can conceal DNA evidence, a recent study from North Carolina State University has shown that sucralose, a chemical found in the beverage, can damage DNA when consumed.
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