Son surrenders after mom found dead in freezer

FELTONVILLE (WPVI) -- The son of a woman who was found dead inside a basement freezer in the Feltonville section of Philadelphia has surrendered to police.

58-year-old William Carrasquillo surrendered to police early Thursday afternoon and has been charged with abuse of a corpse.

He had been sought after his 83-year-old mother, Andrea Carrasquillo, was found in that freezer back on Tuesday.

The entire freezer had to be moved out of the house by police.

Investigators on Wednesday removed her from the freezer, but the medical examiner must wait until her corpse thaws before the autopsy can begin.

Police were told the woman has been kept frozen since January.

Sources say it appears her son had been keeping her in the freezer to collect her social security checks.

"That's awful. That's sad. Are you kidding me?" neighbor Rosemary Serrano said earlier this week.

East Detectives, CSI and officials with the medical examiner's office were on the scene on the 4500 block of North Lee Street Tuesday afternoon after police got a tip call.

"I knew the mom; I didn't know her super well because she had a learning disability. She barely spoke," neighbor Diane Negron said.

When officers arrived, police say William Carrasquillo was nowhere to be found.

"A real good guy, hardworking. As far as I know, he always took care of his mom. He also takes care of his grandkids," Negron said.