A Florida homeowner shot and killed an alleged burglar Thursday night, while the police later arrested the migrant accomplice, authorities said.
The two alleged burglars entered a residence through the back and were captured on the property’s video surveillance system. The homeowner fired at them, hitting one and rendering him critically injured, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said.
The MCSO later identified the suspect in custody as Michel Soto-Mella, 39, a Chilean national. He faces a charge of armed burglary, with additional charges likely to follow.
Soto-Mella was in the country on a 90-day visa to California that had expired September, Wells told reporters. The suspect then allegedly moved to a hotel in Tampa about six days before the alleged home invasion and decided with his partner to commit the crime, Wells added.
The MCSO also identified the dead suspect as Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo, 27, a Mexican national. The dead suspect also went by the alias Anibal Miller-Valenci. Under that alias, Flores-Toledo had served a four-month jail sentence in Illinois for residential burglary before being released in November. He afterward was declared wanted for a parole violation and was considered armed and dangerous, according to the MCSO. (RELATED: Mexico Developing ‘Alert Button’ App For Migrants Getting Arrested By ICE)
The homeowner reported the alleged home invasion and shooting to the MCSO. “He tells his wife, ‘This is happening, it’s happening now, find a safe place,’” Sheriff Rick Wells told reporters at a press conference.
The armed homeowner encountered one of the suspects, who had entered by prying open a window. The homeowner fired at least three shots, critically injuring Flores-Toledo. His alleged accomplice, who was halfway through the window at the time, fled, Wells said. The suspects reportedly were not armed with guns but had a large pry bar.
Flores-Toledo died in hospital Friday morning. The MCSO Deputies and K9 units tracked down and apprehended Soto-Mella a few blocks away, the MCSO added.
“The bottom line is: This is the State of Florida. You wanna break into somebody’s home? You should expect to be shot,” Wells said.
The couple are in their 50s and the husband legally owned his firearm, Wells added.
Wells said the MCSO is working with Border Patrol and is investigating the suspects’ motives for targeting the residence and whether the alleged crime could be linked to others in Manatee County.
Wells added that the homeowner’s actions were in defense of himself and his wife and that they both were shaken up by the “traumatic event.”
“I praise this husband for doing what he needed to do to protect his home,” Wells said.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
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