Police in Florida said they arrested a man who discovered the body of his renter and poured bleach on the corpse instead of reporting the find.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said William Hendrix Jr., 55, of DeLand, discovered the body of Daniel Ferris, 46, Monday afternoon in the room he had been renting above Hendrix's garage, the Orlando Sentinel reported Wednesday.

Deputies said Hendrix left the body to go mow his lawn and later returned to pour bleach on the body to cover the smell of decomposition.

Investigators said Hendrix did not report the find because the property owner, his girlfriend, did not want him to take in boarders.

However, Hendrix confessed to his girlfriend and she called the sheriff's office at 12:25 a.m. Tuesday.

Hendrix was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report a dead body.

Deputies said foul play is not suspected in the death of Ferris.