3 Orlando men charged with murder in rural Haines City killing

Ledger staff
·2 min read
Police cruiser lights.

A man was fatally shot in unincorporated Haines City early Saturday morning, and detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have charged three men with murder.

The suspects and victim are all from Orange County.

Deputies responded shortly after 12:30 a.m. to the area of Lake Marion Creek Road and Midway Road to reports of a man stumbling on the road, covered in blood. The 26-year old man was found lying next to the road with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he died a few hours later.

Several shell casings were recovered at the scene and detectives began looking for a black Mercedes that was reported to have been in the area. The Mercedes was soon identified, and that lead to the identification of Felix Jomar Agosto Velazquez, 25, of Orlando.

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Agosto Velazquez was with Joel Javier Ortega, 29, and Bryan Jose Colon Deleon, 26 — both of Orlando — when Orange County deputies found them. The were said to have been friends of the victim and had spent time together in recent days.

PCSO detectives searched a storage unit belonging to Agosto Velazquez and discovered that he visited there less than seven hours after the shooting. Detectives found ammunition in the storage unit that matched the ammunition found at the crime scene, and also found firearms capable of firing that type of ammunition.

During interviews with the detectives, each suspect confirmed they were together with the victim in the black Mercedes Benz, and near the area where the shooting occurred, but they refused to provide additional information.

All three suspects were arrested in Orlando and booked into the Orange County Jail. They are being charged with first-degree murder, and tampering with evidence.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Orange County man fatally shot in rural Haines City. 3 men charged