Cape Coral man gets 12-year prison sentence in case involving the murder of his mother
A Cape Coral man charged in the beating death of his mother is headed to state prison for the next dozen years.
Lee County Judge Robert J. Branning sentenced Michael Tortolani, 28, on Tuesday to 12 years on one count of manslaughter, five years in prison for one count of possession of a controlled substance, and one year in jail on each of two counts of battery. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
Court documents said that early on October 3, 2020, Tortolani got into a physical fight with his parents at their Cape Coral home. The argument and fighting ended, and Tortolani and his father left the house, leaving his mother alone at home.
Hours later the defendant returned home and based on physical evidence at the scene as well as a Cape Coral police investigation Tortolani got into a fight with his mother and repeatedly hit her, killing her.
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In numerous interviews with neighbors, friends, and relatives, an 18-page court document revealed Tortolani used drugs and was known to slap, punch, kick and grab his mother, particularly when she wouldn't give him her prescription drugs.
A friend, whose name was redacted in the report, told police Tortolani's mother was afraid he'd kill her one day.
On the day of her death, police responded to their home twice, about 12 hours apart.
Police went to their apartment on Triton Court the morning of Oct. 3, where neighbors reported a fight. While bruised and scratched, the victim told police she had been hurt at work. She was repeatedly identified as Tortolani's mother, but her name was redacted in the report.
Police wrote a report, but didn't find probable cause for an arrest.
About 12 hours later, Tortolani called police, telling them she had fallen in the shower and wasn't breathing, but had a faint pulse. He said he had returned home and found his mother on the floor.
He led officers to the bathroom and told them "It's only been 25 minutes, I was panicking; I threw soap on her."
The woman was fully clothed, lying with her head propped against a wall, the report indicates. Officers said she had significant bruising and swelling around her face and neck that weren't present earlier in the day.
Tortolani's right fist was noticeably swollen and his knuckles scratched, the report indicates.
Officers asked him if he fought with his mother and father in the earlier incident, he admitted his involvement, the report states, before declining to answer more questions.
Tortolani sent text messages to a friend saying he thought his mother was dead in the moments before calling police and sent the recipient a picture of his mother, unconscious and her clothing disheveled, while simultaneously asking for drugs.
"I'm crying my eyes out please (name redacted) u have to understand plz I need something bad," he texted, according to the report.
The friend admonished him and told him to call for an ambulance.
"Don't sit there and tell me that you're scared and you're worried about your mom you're trying to come here and have me help you get drugs bro," the friend said in partial response, according to the records.
Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral man who beat his mother to death gets prison sentence
