(CNN) A Marine who deserted his post at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina last month is a suspect in the killing of his mother's boyfriend, authorities said Monday.

According to a news release from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in Virginia, Michael Alexander Brown is known to frequent national parks and forests, and he may be living in the woods.

The 22-year-old is believed to be "armed with a high-powered rifle and may have access to other weapons," the sheriff's office said. He is considered dangerous, authorities said.

The sheriff's office obtained an arrest warrant Monday, charging Brown with second-degree murder and with using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Second-degree murder, according to Virginia law, is a catch-all that includes any killings that aren't categorized as first-degree, premeditated murder or capital murder.

Around noon Saturday, the sheriff's office responded to a shooting call in the Hardy community, about 9 miles east of Roanoke, where they found Rodney Brown, 54, dead in his home, authorities said. Rodney Brown's girlfriend -- who is Michael Brown's mother -- called police after finding Rodney's body in the house, Capt. Phillip Young with the sheriff's office said.

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