New Florida bill would require background checks for in-home delivery drivers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A proposed law would require delivery workers to clear a background check before they would be allowed to enter someone’s home. 

State Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, crafted a bill after the murder of 75-year-old Evelyn Udell. Police said the suspect was a man who was installing a washing machine in her Boca Raton home, reports WPTV.

Detectives said the suspect beat her with a mallet, doused her in a chemical and set her on fire.

Under the proposed law, stores would have to notify customers when the delivery service has been subcontracted. The bill would also require a more extensive level 2 background checks. 

The law wouldn’t apply to all deliveries -- just those where employees would enter a customer’s home.

There have been other similar incidents nationwide. In Richmond, Virginia, a convicted sex offender with a long criminal history was accused of raping and killing a woman in her home.

The suspect was hired to stain the victim's deck earlier in the year.

The bill has been filed in the Florida House of Representatives.