Lake County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a 41-year-old man indicted by a grand jury this week on dozens of felony charges involving the ongoing sexual abuse of a minor child.
State Attorney Bill Gladson announced that his office filed a formal notice of intent to seek capital punishment against Schubert Navarroza Macarat. The decision falls under Florida statutes that allow the state to pursue the death penalty for specific severe capital offenses committed against children.
“This kind of criminal depravity demands only one response from the State. Today, I filed Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty in the event the defendant is found guilty,” Gladson said. “We are seeking to prematurely end this defendant’s life because the crimes he committed are so heinous that no other punishment is fitting.”
The investigation began on the evening of March 22, 2026, when Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call regarding a past sexual offense. A caller informed responding officers that a child had just disclosed a history of long-term, ongoing sexual abuse.
Following the initial report, the child confirmed the allegations during a formal forensic interview. The ongoing investigation led detectives to recover a 4-terabyte hard drive containing at least 3,000 videos. Law enforcement officials have confirmed that at least 700 of those files consist of child sexual abuse material.
A grand jury convened to review the state’s evidence and returned a true bill of indictment charging Macarat with 47 separate felonies. The charges include 12 counts of sexual battery upon a child under the age of 12.
Macarat was arrested by local authorities and is currently being held without bond at the Lake County Detention Facility. Assistant State Attorney Shannon Schlarf has been assigned to prosecute the case.
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