A workplace dispute led to a deadly shooting at a St. Lucie County home early Monday morning, leaving a 29-year-old man dead and a teenager in custody.
The victim, Mario Jose Romero Alonzo, 29, was not the intended target of the shooting and was asleep on a couch when he was killed, according to St. Lucie County deputies.
The 17-year-old suspect worked in construction with Alonzo’s brother and had recently been fired.
Detectives believe he went to the home to “settle a score” with the brother, but ended up shooting Alonzo instead.
“He went to the residence looking for the brother. When he couldn’t find him, he then turned his sights on our victim, who was basically sleeping on the couch,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro said.
The teenager has been charged with homicide and tampering with evidence. His 20-year-old cousin also faces charges after deputies say he attempted to hide the suspect in his car and flee to Miami.
The sheriff’s office says this remains an active investigation, and they are looking into whether the 17-year-old is an undocumented migrant.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Copyright 2026 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.