Deltoro Jr. Acquitted In Mother’s 2019 Shooting
A Florida jury has found Alexander Deltoro Jr. not guilty of manslaughter in the 2019 shooting of his mother.
A Local 10 story said, “A Broward County jury reached a not-guilty verdict Tuesday in the manslaughter case involving a man who testified that he wanted to protect his mother not kill her.
“Ron Baum, the defense attorney, hugged Alexander Deltoro, who was in tears in the courtroom after the announcement.
“The jury did not side with the detectives and prosecutors who blamed Deltoro for his 60-year-old mother’s death during a domestic violence tragedy in Margate.
“The fatal shooting was just after Deltoro celebrated his 28th birthday dinner with his family on December 14, 2019. There was a conflict in the car that continued at home.
“He took that firearm from his waistband because he was aggravated,” Broward County Assistant State Attorney Courtney Eliza DePersio said on Monday during her closing argument in Broward County Circuit Judge Lorena V. Mastrarrigo’s courtroom.
“Deltoro testified that he pulled out the gun because he believed his father was armed and was a threat to him and his mother.”
“It was an accident, but it’s the why and the how,” Baum said during his closing argument.”
An NBC story said, “Deltoro Jr. cried and hugged his attorney as the verdict was read. Family members could also be heard sobbing in the courtroom and saying “thank you Jesus.”
“Jurors heard closing arguments on Monday and returned Tuesday morning for deliberations before reaching their decision. During their deliberations, jurors had a question and requested to see the gun from the shooting.
“Jurors on Monday heard testimony from Deltoro Jr. about the fatal encounter when he took the stand in his own defense.
“It was back on December 14, 2019, when Deltoro Jr. was out with his family celebrating his 28th birthday when he got into an argument with his father, Alexander Deltoro Sr.
“He testified that the argument escalated when they got back to their Margate home. That’s when Deltoro Jr. said that his father pulled out a gun first during the physical fight.
“I was nervous and said to him, ‘What are you doing?’ That’s when at that point, I pulled my gun out and I racked it,” Deltoro Jr. said.
“He also said his father then pushed his mother, Cindy Deltoro, to the ground and ended up shooting his mother in the face, which he said was an accident.
“He was trying to protect his mother from his father and then he protected his father for his mother. And it’s just extremely sad that in five and a half years he hasn’t been able to grieve his mother’s death,” defense attorney Ron Baum said Tuesday.
“Prosecutors pushed back against the self-defense claim at the trial. If he was convicted, he could have faced 15 years in prison.”
