A Florida sheriff delivered a no-nonsense message after a homeowner fatally shot an armed intruder.
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells spoke at a news conference after a dramatic Thursday night confrontation that left one burglar dead and another in custody.
The incident occurred around 9pm when a homeowner spotted two masked men on his surveillance cameras.
He reacted promptly - ordering his wife to safety before arming himself with a gun.
He was able to shoot one of the suspects, while the other ran away, and was later caught by police. Both suspects were revealed to be illegal migrants whose visas had expired, as reported by Fox13.
'This is the state of Florida. If you want to break into someone's home, you should expect to be shot,' Sheriff Wells boldly announced at a Friday press conference.
The dead intruder was identified as Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo, 27, from Mexico, who also went by Anibal Miller-Valencia.
Both suspects were revealed to be illegal migrants whose visas had expired
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells spoke at a news conference after a dramatic Thursday night confrontation that left one burglar dead and another in custody. 'This is the state of Florida. If you want to break into someone's home, you should expect to be shot,' he said
He was rushed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds but died Friday morning.
The homeowner fired at least three shots.
The second suspect was identified as Michel Soto-Mella, 39, from Chile. He was found by the homeowner climbing into the window before backing away and running off.
Police found him a couple blocks from the homeowner's house. Soto-Mella was arrested and charged with armed burglary.
He is currently in police custody. Further charges are pending, according to police.
The second suspect was identified as Michel Soto-Mella, 39, from Chile. He was arrested and charged with armed burglary
Wells praised the quick-thinking actions of the victim.
'He knew something bad was about to happen, and he didn't stall. He grabbed his firearm, told his wife to get into a safe spot,' he said.
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.'
