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From Fox News: A Florida sheriff said intruders should “expect to be shot” after releasing information about a homeowner who opened fire at two masked men trying to break into his house, killing one.
The deceased suspect was identified as 23-year-old Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo, from Mexico, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
The second suspect, Michel Soto-Mella, 39, an illegal immigrant from Chile, is charged with armed burglary, with additional charges pending, according to the sheriff’s office.
Just after 9 p.m. Thursday, the Manatee County homeowner saw the two men entering the back of his house on his video surveillance system, according to authorities.
During a press briefing on Friday, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells explained that the homeowner told his wife to hide in a safe place. He then got his gun, opened the door into the office room of his home and discovered that one intruder was already in the room, and the second man was halfway through the window.
The homeowner fired at least three shots, striking the man in the room. The other man in the window fled, and officers caught him later about four blocks away.
The suspect who was shot later died at a hospital Friday morning.
“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,” Sheriff Wells declared.
“This was an occupied home at 9:00 at night. The husband and wife were just sitting there enjoying their evening,” the sheriff said.
Later in the briefing, a reporter asked Wells if he had any advice on how people could keep themselves safe.
“Well, if it’s me, I’m going to have a firearm,” he declared. “Everyone is different, but I’m going to exercise my Second Amendment right. I’m going to have a firearm.”
“I praise this husband for doing what he needed to do to protect his home and protect his family. And if you’re going to be that brazen to come into my home… you should expect to be shot,” he added.
At the time of the briefing, Wells did not have the names of the intruder, but Fox News was able to obtain those later, as listed above. The sheriff explained that they are still working with Border Patrol to determine the immigration status of the deceased suspect.
Fox News provided additional details on the deceased suspect, revealing that he already had a criminal record for burglary:
Flores-Toledo, who also went by the name of Anibal Miller-Valencia, was arrested in Oak Brook, Illinois in 2023 and served four months in jail for residential burglary before being released on parole in November, according to authorities. He had an active warrant for a parole violation and was considered “armed and dangerous.”
Watch the sheriff’s press briefing below:
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