A Florida man confessed to killing his 76-year-old grandmother and later used her car and credit card to buy beer and cigarettes, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies discovered the woman dead during a welfare check Monday night at an apartment on Fairways Circle and took her grandson into custody.
Authorities identified the suspect as 29-year-old Nicholas Leonard Ivey. Investigators said Ivey admitted in interviews that he killed his grandmother, Patricia Dibella, after she poked him in the back with a steak knife, describing how he “snapped her neck” and punched and stomped on her head. As of Friday, Ivey faced charges including grand theft auto and fraudulent use of a credit card while homicide charges were pending review. Detectives continued processing evidence and timelines as the medical examiner worked to determine the exact cause and manner of death.
Deputies were sent to the Fairways Circle address around 8:15 p.m. Monday for a welfare check requested by family. Inside the bedroom, they found Dibella unresponsive on a bed and noted she was already deceased. According to an arrest report, Ivey told detectives the confrontation began in the kitchen and that he moved his grandmother’s body afterward. Investigators said he then drove her car to a nearby store and used her credit card to buy a pack of cigarettes and beer. After returning, he called his father and said he had killed Dibella, prompting the call to authorities that led deputies to the apartment. “This remains an active, ongoing homicide investigation,” a sheriff’s spokesperson said.
Detectives documented the residence and collected towels, clothing, and a knife from a drawer, according to investigative summaries. They also seized Ivey’s phone and requested store surveillance video and transaction records that matched the time stamps on the credit card purchases. The arrest report describes evidence of a cleanup, including a washed sweatshirt and wiped floors. Investigators said Ivey provided additional details during a recorded interview and repeated that he acted after being poked. The sheriff’s office has not announced a suspected motive beyond the account in the interview. No other injuries were reported at the scene, and detectives said no one else is believed to have been inside the apartment during the attack.
Neighbors at the Fairways complex described a quiet evening disrupted by the arrival of patrol units and later a crime-scene van. Residents said deputies canvassed doors for witnesses and asked about any sounds or disturbances. The building sits off a residential loop near U.S. 1 and is lined with palms and parking bays common to older garden-style apartments. Several tenants said investigators mentioned a trip to a nearby convenience store as they sought camera footage. By Tuesday afternoon, yellow tape had been removed from the walkway, though deputies returned for follow-up photographs as the week progressed.
Public records list Dibella, 76, as the longtime occupant of the apartment. Relatives told deputies they became worried when they could not reach her and contacted the sheriff’s office. The medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to confirm injuries described in the arrest affidavit and to determine whether additional trauma contributed to her death. Detectives said they are comparing physical findings to Ivey’s statements and to any audio or video collected from the property and nearby businesses.
Ivey was booked into the Indian River County Jail on theft- and fraud-related counts tied to the car and credit card, as well as criminal use of identification. Investigators said homicide-related charges will be considered after the autopsy and a full review of evidence. A first appearance on the current counts was expected to set bond conditions and a schedule for further hearings. The sheriff’s office noted that standard steps ahead include lab testing of collected items, digital forensics on seized devices, and financial records tracing purchases made after the attack.
Florida law allows prosecutors to add homicide charges after initial arrests on related offenses if evidence supports the filing. In similar cases, detectives often move quickly on property or fraud counts to ensure a suspect remains in custody while forensic work continues. Any future charging decision would go to the state attorney’s office for review and possible grand jury consideration. Authorities did not release a timeline for when the autopsy results will be completed.
Residents in the complex said they saw detectives carrying paper evidence bags and equipment cases from the apartment through the week. One neighbor said deputies asked whether any household cameras faced the parking lot and if anyone noticed a dark sedan leaving late at night. Another recalled officers asking about loud bangs in recent days but said they had not heard anything unusual until the cruisers arrived. Management declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
As of Saturday morning, Ivey remained jailed as detectives finalized interviews and awaited the medical examiner’s preliminary findings. Officials said additional information, including any upgraded charges, would be released after the autopsy and evidence reviews are complete. The sheriff’s office reiterated that there is no indication of a broader threat to the public tied to the case.
Author note: Last updated February 7, 2026.