A neighbor of Yhoana Arteaga, a 12-year-old girl who was killed brutally inside her family’s Goodlettsville home last month, was arrested Monday by Nashville police and charged with multiple counts, including premeditated murder.

The Metro Nashville Police Department, at a news conference joined by Mayor Megan Barry, said police arrested Roy D. Coons, 45, who lived two doors down from Yhoana and her family.

Police said Coons, who has dozens of prior criminal offenses on his record, was taken into custody Monday afternoon.

He had been identified since the initial stages of the investigation as a possible suspect. DNA, among other "scientific analysis" of evidence by both MNPD and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation led to Coons, MNPD Chief Steve Anderson said.

Coons is charged with first-degree premeditated murder, two counts of first-degree felony murder, attempted rape of a child, and especially aggravated burglary.

“The death of anyone is especially tragic and especially when it’s a homicide,” Anderson said. “And then when it’s a young person, 12 years old, not yet reached the prime of their life, it’s especially tragic.

"It's certainly a relief to this police department that this man is in custody, and I know it's a relief to all of Nashville.”

Yhoana's death occurred on Aug. 10 inside her family's trailer home in the Hillview Acres Mobile Home Park on Old Dickerson Pike.

More:12-year-old Yhoana Arteaga was 'brutally murdered,' in Goodlettsville trailer, police say

It was described by law enforcement officials as one of the most shocking and horrific homicides that they had ever seen.

Yhoana's mother, 14-year-old sister and 10-year-old brother returned to their Goodlettsville trailer at 6:45 p.m. that night to find the pre-teen dead. Yhoana, a student at Liberty Collegiate Academy, had texted her mother at 5:30 p.m. that someone was knocking on the door.

Autopsy results released last month showed she was strangled to death. Yhoana's body was found with a number of contusions and abrasions, including around her face and neck.

Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said scientific evidence, including DNA, was crucial to making the arrest. A Davidson County Grand Jury met Monday morning and returned the multi-count indictment.

More:Goodlettsville 12-year-old Yhoana Arteaga strangled to death, autopsy shows

According to police, Coons has been convicted of more than 30 offenses, both felonies and misdemeanors since 1992. The most recent was a felony marijuana possession and unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon in 2016.

During the investigation, detectives had said they believed it's possible Yhoana "knew of" her killer, but it was not clear if they were personally acquainted. There were no obvious signs of forced entry at the residence.

“Our heart breaks any time we lose a young person,” Barry said. “And the horrific murder of this beautiful child, Yhoana Arteaga, really just rocked the Madison community."

The mayor thanked the police officers who worked the crime, crediting their work with “bringing her killer to justice.”

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236, jgarrison and on Twitter @joeygarrison. Reach Jake Lowary at 931-237-1583 or follow him on Twitter @JakeLowary.