A Picayune man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for the murder of his grandmother, allegedly so he could use her car.

The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Thomas Crawford, of 118 Robert Rd., Picayune, said Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator Marc Ogden.

Detectives learned of the homicide after getting a call from medical personnel at a Fort Walton Beach, Fla.,  hospital at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Those personnel told local law enforcement that a patient in their care made allegations he killed his grandmother because she wouldn’t let him use her car, Ogden said.

A welfare check was conducted at the home where he was living with his grandmother. There,  law enforcement personnel found a body of a woman, Ogden said.

Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage said the deceased woman was identified as 71-year-old Sharon Lee Crawford. Turnage said her manner of death has been ruled as homicide.

Ogden said the investigation shows Sharon Crawford may have died Tuesday night.

The Ookalusa County Sheriff’s Department served a warrant obtained by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department for Thomas Crawford for the offense of first degree murder while he was still at the hospital, the Chief Investigator said.

Ogden said the vehicle, a 2009 black Suzuki SX4, is missing and is listed on the National Crime Information Center as being stolen. It bears a Louisiana tag 17539334.