An 81-year-old Florida man accused of fatally shooting his boss stepped outside afterward to smoke a cigarette, then rode a tricycle around the parking lot of the business until police arrived, according to an arrest affidavit.
Jose Antonio Lopez was arrested after the October 14 shooting of Delio Trasobares, 61, who owned Metro Express in Medley, Florida. The confrontation began when Trasobares discovered Lopez was still sleeping at the business despite being told weeks earlier that he could no longer do so without permission.
When Medley police arrived shortly after 7:30 a.m., they found Lopez riding the tricycle outside. As an officer approached, Lopez volunteered, “I did it,” before telling police that a gun was beside a microwave inside the building.
Trasobares was airlifted to a Miami hospital, where he died from his injuries. Lopez later admitted shooting his employer because he had grown tired of the man’s insults and complaints. He faces a charge of second-degree murder.
Another Morning at the Repair Shop
Trasobares arrived at Metro Express at approximately 7:28 a.m. and found Lopez and another employee sitting in chairs inside a structure used as a repair shop. The owner had learned several weeks earlier that Lopez was sleeping on the premises without his permission and instructed him not to do so again.
Finding that Lopez had continued sleeping there, Trasobares ordered him to leave. Lopez got out of his chair without arguing, walked approximately three feet to a shelf, and retrieved a .40-caliber handgun. He turned toward his employer, cursed at him in Spanish, and fired, striking him in the chest, according to the Medley Police Department affidavit.
Trasobares attempted to walk away but collapsed at the entrance to the repair shop. As the other employee called 911, Lopez walked outside to smoke a cigarette and subsequently began riding a tricycle around the parking lot.
Waiting for the Police
Officers were dispatched to Metro Express at approximately 7:31 a.m. after receiving a report of a shooting and a description of the suspect. They found Lopez still riding the tricycle, and his unsolicited admission came as an officer approached him.
After taking him into custody, police asked whether he was carrying any weapons. Lopez directed them to the gun beside the microwave. A subsequent search of the property yielded two firearms, a 9 mm and a .40 caliber, along with a spent cartridge casing and a projectile.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue airlifted Trasobares to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead despite efforts to save his life.
What He Told Detectives
Lopez complained of chest pains after his arrest and was transported to Palmetto Hospital, where he was admitted for high blood pressure. Following his discharge on October 15, he was taken to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau, advised of his rights, and interviewed by detectives.
During questioning, Lopez admitted shooting Trasobares after being instructed to leave the premises. He said he was “fed up” and “had enough” of his employer insulting him and complaining.
Lopez was charged with second-degree murder and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He was denied bond during his initial court appearance, which he attended remotely from his hospital bed, according to WPLG Local 10.
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All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.