Man Strangled Roommate Over Bills: Cops

Man held woman in a chokehold for nearly two minutes

A man accused of killing his friend after an argument over bills tried to make the murder look like a home invasion gone bad, Sunrise Police said Tuesday.

Eric Ray Brown, 45, was arrested Sunday and charged with second-degree murder for allegedly strangling Vivian Thompson to death Sept. 2, an arrest report stated.

Brown had initially called 911 and told police that he found his friend dead on the couch but changed his story several times after meeting with detectives over the weekend, the report stated.

When officers arrived at Thompson's apartment, they found a unit that looked like it had been ransacked and the contents of Thompson's purse were dumped out. But Brown later admitted that he and Thompson got in a fight over bills and the cost of a refrigerator, the report said.

Brown held Thompson in a chokehold for nearly two minutes and thought he had only knocked her unconscious, he told detectives, according to the report. Brown also admitted to staging the home invasion to throw off police.

The report stated Brown was "remorseful for the killing."

Brown was being held in Broward County jail on no bond. It's unclear if he had an attorney.

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