3rd suspect accused in deadly Manatee County home invasion arrested trying to escape to Mexico: MCSO

A traffic crash involving an 18-wheeler in Colorado led to the arrest of a third man accused in a deadly home invasion in Manatee County

Florida homeowner shoots, kills suspected intruder

The backstory:

Shortly after 9 p.m. on December 26, 2024, deputies say two unknown men were seen on a homeowner's video surveillance system entering the back of an occupied home in the 6700 block of Hickory Hammock Circle in Bradenton. 

The homeowner fired multiple shots, hitting one of the intruders, while the others ran away. 

The injured intruder, who has since been identified as 27-year-old Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo from Mexico, was shot several times and taken to an area hospital where he later died. 

Deputies used K9s to help track down another suspect, 39-year-old Michel Soto-Mella from Chile, several blocks away. 

He was arrested and charged with armed burglary. 

Dig deeper:

Flores-Toledo, the dead suspect, also goes by the name Anibal Miller-Valencia and has a birthdate of 2001, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputies say Miller-Valencia was arrested in Oak Brook, Illinois, in 2023, and served four months in jail for residential burglary before being released on parole last November. 

He had an active warrant for parole violation and was considered armed and dangerous.

Suspected home intruder tries escaping to Mexico

What we know:

As of late December 2024, Manatee County deputies believed that there were more suspects involved. 

Working with the U.S. Marshals Task Force, detectives learned that suspect Aldo Jean Pierre Armijos-Casillo, 32, got on a bus headed to California from Colorado. Deputies say he was trying to escape to Mexico. 

Pictured: Aldo Armijos-Casillo. Image is courtesy of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Pictured: Aldo Armijos-Casillo. Image is courtesy of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. 

Deputies say a traffic crash involving an 18-wheeler caused several hours of gridlock on Interstate 70 near Vail, Colorado, allowing the Vail Police SWAT team to intercept the bus and take Armijos-Casillo into custody without incident.

Armijos-Casillo has been charged with felony murder because of his involvement in the crime that led to the death of his accomplice.

He was in the U.S. on a 90-day pass from Chile, and will be extradited to Manatee County at a later date, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Why was River Club home targeted?

What we don't know:

Detectives have not said why the suspects targeted a home in the River Club community the night after Christmas. 

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. 


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