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A Florida sheriff issued a “bottom-line” reminder to would-be criminals after a homeowner’s fatal interaction with an alleged pair of intruders.
(Video: Fox 13)
Thursday in Bradenton, Florida, two suspects were said to have been in the midst of breaking into a home when the owner spotted them, retrieved his gun and defended his property. The fatal wounds for the one suspect had Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells issuing a message to potential criminals about the inherent risk involved, “You should expect to be shot.”
During a Friday press conference, Wells detailed how 23-year-old Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo of Mexico had allegedly forced entry into the home with 39-year-old Michel Soto-Mella of Chile using a crowbar.
“He knew something bad was about to happen and he didn’t stall,” the sheriff said of the homeowner who had seen the break-in on his home surveillance system. “He grabbed his fireman, he told his wife to get into a safe spot.”
After encountering the suspects, the homeowner was said to have fired multiple shots, striking Flores-Toledo and scaring away Soto-Mella who was later arrested and charged with armed burglary.
“I sat down next to the lanai, the door was open. I vividly hear three gunshots,” John Nuceder told Fox 13 as he was visiting family at the time of the incident.
Though Flores-Toledo had been transported to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital in critical condition, he later succumbed to his wounds, leaving an additional charge against Soto-Mella alleging felony murder pending because of the death during the commission of a crime.
“The bottom line is, this is the state of Florida. If you want to break into someone’s home, you should expect to be shot,” Wells added during the press conference.
Popular Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd had offered a similar sentiment from the side of law enforcement in the past telling Brendon Leslie of Florida’s Voice that, when it came to criminals posing a threat, “We’re gonna shoot ’em and shoot ’em a lot. I put these young men and women out here to protect the community not to be shot at. So if you pull a gun on or point a gun at our deputy, expect us to shoot you so much that you can read a newspaper through you.”
Further details about the decedent revealed that he had been arrested in 2023 in Illinois and served four months in jail for residential burglary. Going by Anibal Miller-Valencia, he had been released on parole in November and there was an active warrant against him for parole violation. He was considered “armed and dangerous.”
“We’re trying to get everything that we can from the [surviving] suspect. He’s being somewhat cooperative, but he’s not telling us everything,” added Wells as Soto-Mella was said to have overstayed a 90-day visa that had expired in September.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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