Florida

Florida sheriff says home invaders “should expect to be shot”

Published

1 year ago

December 29, 2024

Florida sheriff says home invaders “should expect to be shot”

Home invaders “should expect to be shot,” a Florida sheriff has said, after a homeowner opened fire on two suspected intruders on Thursday night, one of whom later died.

“The bottom line is, this is the state of Florida,” Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells told reporters during a press conference on Friday. “You want to break into someone’s home, you should expect to be shot.”

Why It Matters

In 2005, Florida passed the “Stand Your Ground” law, which removed the duty to retreat from an intruder when acting in purported self-defense in the home if the home-dweller reasonably believed that they were in danger.

The Stand Your Ground law is widely associated with the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old killed in Florida by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain who claimed he was acting in self-defense, according to ProPublica. He was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, but was acquitted by a jury.

What To Know

Sheriff Wells said on Friday that local authorities received a call about shots being fired at roughly 9 p.m. on Thursday night in the Lakewood Ranch area, south of Tampa.

The homeowner, who has not been named, told deputies on the scene that two masked men had attempted to break into the property, and that he had shot one of the intruders, Wells said. The injured intruder was still in the property when authorities arrived, while the other had fled the scene, the sheriff said.

Police tape. “If you want to break into someone’s home, you should expect to be shot,” Manatee County Sheriff, Rick Wells, told reporters on Friday.

Andri Tambunan/AFP via Getty Images

The homeowner was alerted by cameras outside the house, and told his wife to find a safe space while grabbing his firearm, Wells said.

The homeowner fired at least three shots at the suspect, while the other suspect climbed halfway through a window before retreating, the sheriff said. The latter was later found four blocks from the scene, Wells said.

The suspect who was shot later died at 7 a.m. on Friday morning after being admitted to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, authorities said.

In a later written statement, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said the surviving suspect had been identified as 39-year-old Michel Soto-Mella, who had arrived in the U.S. from Chile.

A photograph of Michel Soto-Mella, published by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said on Friday that a suspected home invader, alleged to have fled the scene in Manatee County, Florida, on Thursday night, had been…

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office

Wells said during the press conference, before authorities named Soto-Mella, that the surviving suspect arrived in California from Chile “a few months ago” and outstayed a 90-day visa.

The surviving suspect was “somewhat cooperative,” Wells said, but added he was “not telling us everything.”

Soto-Mella has been charged with armed burglary, with additional charges pending, the sheriff’s office said.

Wells said authorities had no information on why the house was targeted, nor the motive behind the home invasion.

The deceased suspect was named as 27-year-old Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo, also known by the name Anibal Miller-Valencia.

Flores-Toledo, from Mexico, was born in 2001, the sheriff’s office said.

He had been arrested in Oak Brook, Illinois, back in 2023, and had served four months in jail for residential burglary, authorities said. Flores-Toledo was released last month, the sheriff’s office said, adding there was an active warrant out for parole violation and Flores-Toledo was considered armed and dangerous.

What Happens Next

The sheriff’s office said detectives believed “there may be other individuals involved in this crime.”

As investigations continue, anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.

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Florida

Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip

Published

23 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Gas prices rise in South Florida amid U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran, as the stock market also reports a dip

March 3, 2026 / 8:18 PM EST
/ CBS Miami

Four days into the Iranian conflict, gas prices are rising at many stations in South Florida.

“I’ve traveled all over the United States,” says Stacey Williams. CBS Miami spoke to him as he was gassing up on the turnpike. He paid $66 for 20 gallons of diesel to fill his pickup truck. Williams has noted the fluctuations in fuel as he drives to locations for his work on turbines. He just spent three weeks at the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant south of Miami.

“The salary we get paid per hour does not add up to what we pay for gas, housing, and food,” he says.

Mitchell Gershon is also dealing with the higher gas prices. He has to fill three vehicles constantly for his business—Thrifty Gypsy, a pop-up store at musical venues. He’s back and forth from Orlando to Miami and says fuel is costing him 20% more. When asked how he handles these fluctuations, he said, “Have a little backup cash so you are ready for it.”

The rise in oil prices contributed to a drop in the stock market on Tuesday, which means some retirement accounts dipped, too. CBS Miami talked to Chad NeSmith, director of investments at Tobias Financial Advisors in Plantation, for perspective on the drop.

“We are seeing most of the pullback today. Yesterday was a shock,” he says. He’s not expecting runaway oil prices but says investors should stay in the loop: “Pay attention to your portfolio. Stick to your goals. Have a plan because these things are completely unpredictable.”

That unpredictability has Williams adjusting his budget. “You just cut back, cut corners, all you can do,” he says.

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Florida

Man convicted of 1991 fatal shooting of a police officer is set to be executed in Florida

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Man convicted of 1991 fatal shooting of a police officer is set to be executed in Florida

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.

Billy Leon Kearse, 53, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. Kearse was initially sentenced to death in 1991 after being convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.

The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.

Kearse awoke at 6:30 a.m. He declined a last meal and has remained compliant throughout the day, corrections spokesman Jordan Kirkland said during a news conference. Kearse met with a spiritual adviser during the day but had no other visitors.

This is Florida’s third execution scheduled for 2026, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The highest number before then was eight executions in both 1984 and 2014, under former governors Bob Graham and Rick Scott, respectively.

According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in January 1991. When Kearse couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license, Parrish ordered Kearse out of his vehicle and attempted to handcuff him.

A struggle ensued, and Kearse grabbed Parrish’s firearm, prosecutors said. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. A nearby taxi driver heard the shots and used Parrish’s radio to call for help.

Parrish was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from the gunshot wounds, officials said. Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.

Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by Kearse. His attorneys had argued that he was unconstitutionally deprived of a fair penalty phase and that his intellectual disability makes his execution unconstitutional.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Kearse’s final appeals Tuesday afternoon without comment.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis, far outpacing Alabama, South Carolina and Texas which each held five executions.

Besides the two Florida executions this year, Texas and Oklahoma have each executed one person so far.

Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for this month. Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to die on March 17, and the execution of James Aren Duckett, 68, is set for March 31.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

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Florida

Man convicted of 1991 fatal shooting of police officer is set to be executed in Florida

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Florida.

The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.

Final appeals were pending Tuesday before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Besides the two Florida executions this year, Texas and Oklahoma have each executed one person so far.

Two more Florida executions have already been scheduled for this month. Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to die on March 17, and the execution of James Aren Duckett, 68, is set for March 31.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

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