NYPD: Queens man afraid of losing home kept dead grandmother in bags

MASPETH, Queens (WABC) -- The decomposed remains of an 85-year-old woman were discovered during a welfare check at a Queens home Wednesday.

Police say 30-year-old Christopher Fuhrer kept his grandmother's corpse wrapped in plastic bags for about five months because he was afraid of losing his housing.

Officers had responded to the house on 65th Street in Maspeth after the woman's daughter -- Fuhrer's mother -- called, concerned for her mother's well-being. When they arrived, they say Fuhrer met them and led them to Erika Kraus-Breslin's body.

Detectives believe he wrapped her body in plastic after she died, and when the body began to decompose, he covered it in a second plastic bag to lessen the odor. He also started placing air fresheners around the house.

They say Fuhrer told responding officers he was worried he'd become homeless once his grandmother died. He was arrested on improper burial and other charges.

The Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause of death.