Fellsmere teen charged in shooting deaths of Brevard men over THC vape pens, sheriff says

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY − A 17-year-old boy from Fellsmere was arrested and charged with murder Tuesday in the deaths of two Brevard County teens who law enforcement officials said were shot during a THC vape pen purchase Monday afternoon in the Vero Lake Estates neighborhood.

THC is the substance that's primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person's mental state, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

What was first investigated as a "suspicious incident" Monday around 3 p.m., arose when a woman called 911 about someone lying in the front yard of a home off 77th Street and 105th Court, after she heard loud noises.

When first responders arrived, they found the bodies of Joseph Mitchel Cardella, 19, of Melbourne, and Logan James Thompson, 19, of Palm Bay, Sheriff Eric Flowers said in a news conference at the Sheriff's Office Tuesday afternoon.

Roughly "23 hours into this case," Flowers said detectives had arrested the suspected shooter, Jaime Mosqueda, 17, of Fellsmere.

Mosqueda faces two counts of murder, dangerous or depraved, but without premeditation.

The charge refers to an intentional killing that was not planned, but caused by a reckless disregard for human life.

"In 12 hours we had him in custody," said Flowers.

Cardella and Thompson met with Mosqueda at what Flowers said was a random meeting spot chosen in Vero Lake Estates, just east of Fellsmere.

"1,300 TCH vape pens, that's what this is over," Flowers said. "For approximately $3,000.

"This guy shows up with his gun and at some point starts firing off rounds. He eventually tells his family it was in self-defense."

No weapons were found on the two dead men or at the scene of the shooting. About $1,000 was found scattered on the ground nearby.

The two traveled in Cardella's Chrysler vehicle and were documented by license plate readers entering the county from Brevard County at 2:30 p.m., Flowers said.

By 3 p.m., he said they were found dead.

Cardella was found in the yard of the home off 77th Street and 105th Court, while Thompson was found in front of the Chrysler that had been damaged by gunfire and parked by the roadside, Flowers said.

A person who Flowers said was a witness and who was with Mosqueda during the transaction, told detectives what took place and where detectives could find the weapon, which Flowers said was a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine.

Flowers said the family brought the witness to the Sheriff's Office after he told them what happened.

Detectives monitored Mosqueda's residence, where Flowers said he lived with his family, and served a search warrant at 1 a.m. Tuesday.

He said all of the family members were brought to the agency where they gave accounts that the teenager shot in self-defense.

"His story falls apart pretty fast," Flowers said.

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More: 2 shot fatally in Vero Lake Estates neighborhood in Indian River County

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Boy, 17, charged with killing 2 teens from Brevard in Vero Lake Estates