A North Carolina man reported absent without leave from the military has now been accused of murdering his grandmother.

According to WTVD, 18-year-old Isaiah Kahleal Evans Caesar was a U.S. Marine who had been AWOL since April 2.

His grandmother, 74-year-old Sallie Copeland Evans, was trying to talk him into surrendering to face desertion charges when she disappeared several days ago, her family said.

Authorities had been searching for the missing woman much of the week when investigators near Highway 903 in the Roanoke Rapids area found human remains on Friday that were later determined to belong to her.

Neighbor Willie Patterson said Evans asked him to drive her and her grandson to Camp Lejune in North Carolina to discuss the teen’s re-entry into the military. He said he had been waiting for them for an hour when he saw the victim’s vehicle drive away from the home.

“I didn’t see who was driving the car,” Patterson said, adding that when he stepped outside there “was no car.”

The same day that Evans’ body was discovered, police received a tip that the suspect was staying in a hotel room in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

He allegedly used his deceased grandmother’s credit card to reserve the room and drove to the location in her vehicle.

As reported by the News & Observer, police report that the victim’s gold car had been spray painted black.

Upon entering the hotel room, investigators say they determined explosive materials were present, leading to an evacuation of the hotel.

In addition to murder charges related to Evans’ death, Caeser is also expected to face criminal counts related to the fugitive warranted issued after he allegedly deserted his military post while stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia.

He was arrested and jailed without bond. His next court appearance is set for May 16.

[Featured image: Sallie Evans, Isaiah Kahleal Evans Caeser/Facebook, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office]