Photos of Eric Contreras shown in court on Monday as his father David Contreras pleaded guilty to killing Eric.
Grethel Aguila
gaguila@miamiherald.com
When Eric Contreras’ girlfriend met him, she was 23 — and she thought she had found the person she would marry one day.
But that will never happen. On Nov. 3, 2023, Eric was gunned down by his father, David Contreras, who confessed to shooting his college student son during a squabble at the family’s Kendall home after a trip to Walt Disney World.
“He did everything in his power to make me happy,” Eric’s girlfriend said in court.
On Monday, David Contreras, 53, pleaded guilty to killing his son, Eric, a 23-year-old construction management student at Florida International University. As a result of a plea deal, the charge was reduced from second-degree murder to manslaughter.
READ MORE: Dad under house arrest for son’s killing after Disney trip can live with wife, judge says
Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge David Young sentenced Contreras to 12 years in Florida prison followed by 10 years’ probation.
The courtroom was visibly divided, with dozens of the father’s supporters on one side, and dozens of the son’s friends and former classmates on the other.
Friends of Eric Contreras attend court on Monday, March 30, 2026 as his father David Contreras pleads guilty to killing Eric. NBC6
David Contreras, a general contractor, was arrested in 2023 after calling 911 and telling the dispatcher that he just “lost it” when he shot Eric several times, according to police.
Several of the son’s friends testified about how Eric — an avid sports fan and collector of NBA retro jerseys — was a kind, considerate young man. His friends, who were scattered across the University of Florida, Florida State University and Miami when Eric was killed, have mourned him and the milestones he will miss: getting married, having children and watching them grow up.
They also forgave the father for killing his son. Sandwiched by his attorneys, Contreras looked down, often shaking as Eric’s friends testified.
David Contreras sits in court on Monday, March 30, 2026 after pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge stemming from the killing of his son Eric Contreras. NBC6
Contreras declined to address Eric’s friends — leading the judge to say the family deprived Eric’s friends the opportunity to attend the funeral and host a Mass in his honor.
After Young’s strong words, Contreras let out a large sigh that echoed through the courtroom. He said he was “sorry” — and that he has “to live with this.”
Emotional day for loved ones
Eric, his girlfriend said, was the most considerate person she had ever known:
He purchased $300 worth of textbooks she needed for her MBA degree when she couldn’t afford it. He learned Spanish to communicate with her family. He even joined her at the cemetery to visit the grave of her father, who died when she was 8.
“His love was the kind of love that made me a better version of myself,” she said. “I found a love that people search their whole entire lives for.”
One of Eric’s friends recounted how they first met when they were in first grade. Eric, he said, was in a wheelchair healing from an injury, and their friendship blossomed as he kept Eric company during recess.
The pair, who knew each other for 15 years, bonded over a shared love of the arts.
“Eric sketched, he painted, he picked up instruments, he played sports,” the friend said.
He said he and the rest of Eric’s friends from Christopher Columbus High School weren’t allowed to attend Eric’s funeral and burial. “An entire community was denied the opportunity to mourn, grieve and honor his life.”
Another friend read a statement on behalf of Eric’s supporters. David Contreras, the letter said, painted a drastically different picture of Eric, as a violent man who struggled with mental health issues.
“Eric’s not only a great friend, but he was kind, passionate and never failed to put a smile on our faces,” the letter said. “It’s disgusting to see his name slandered by his own blood.”
“We were worried about getting justice for Eric, as his family shut us out.” the letter said. “We’re here because he deserved better, in life and in death.”
The fatal shooting
When police got to the Contreras family home, they found only Eric’s bullet-riddled body, and his father. Police said David Contreras called 911 and confessed to the killing, both to the dispatcher and to police when they arrived.
David Contreras, 52, charged with second-degree murder after the shooting death of his 21-year-old son Eric Contreras in their family home in November, was granted house arrest until trial by a judge on Tuesday. Miami-Dade Corrections
The video on the home’s Ring doorbell also captured Contreras trying to explain to his wife what he had done to their son, police said.
READ MORE: Father charged in killing of son at Kendall area home, cops say. He was an FIU student
Police believe the argument between father and son at Disney World continued until they got home that early afternoon in November almost three years ago.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 2:01 PM.
Miami Herald
Grethel covers courts and the criminal justice system for the Miami Herald. She graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), speaks Spanish and Arabic and loves animals, traveling, basketball and good storytelling. Grethel also attends law school part time.