A Florida sheriff warned intruders should "expect to be shot" after a homeowner shot at two masked men trying to break into his house, killing one of them.
The man killed was identified as 23-year-old Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo from Mexico. The second suspect, Michel Soto-Mella, 39, from Chile, was charged with armed burglary, with additional charges pending.
Around 9 p.m. Thursday, the homeowner saw the two men entering the back of his house on surveillance footage. "He knew something bad was about to happen and he didn’t stall," said Sheriff Rick Wells. "He grabbed his firearm [and] told his wife to get into a safe spot."
The homeowner fired multiple rounds, hitting Flores-Toledo "several times." Soto-Mella fled the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
John Nuceder, visiting a family member in the neighborhood, told Fox 13, "I vividly heard three gunshots."
Flores-Toledo, also known as Anibal Miller-Valencia, was reported in critical condition before being transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he died Friday morning.
"This is the state of Florida," Sheriff Wells said. "If you want to break into someone's home, you should expect to be shot."
Deputies arrested Soto-Mella a few blocks away using K9 units. He was in the country illegally after his visa expired in September. The scene was secured, and there was no threat to the community.
Investigators are working to understand why Flores-Toledo and Soto-Mella targeted the home. "We're trying to get everything that we can from the [surviving] suspect," Wells said. "He's being somewhat cooperative, but he's not telling us everything."
At a court hearing, Soto-Mella told the judge through a translator that he didn’t have any guns.
Authorities said Flores-Toledo had a criminal history, including a 2023 arrest for residential burglary in Illinois. He served four months in jail before being released on parole in November. He had an active warrant for parole violation and was considered "armed and dangerous."
The sheriff’s office has not responded to inquiries regarding whether the homeowner is facing charges. His identity has not been released.