LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake County jury has delivered a guilty verdict against 35-year-old Alexander Aguilar, ending a legal process that began with a fatal confrontation in Mascotte nearly seven years ago.
On Wednesday, jurors found Aguilar guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery with a firearm following the 2019 shooting death of Juan Ramon Cruz.
The incident dates back to June 2019, when Mascotte Police officers arrived at a scene to find Cruz, 35, lying unresponsive in the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second victim was discovered nearby with a gunshot wound to the knee; while receiving medical treatment, that individual identified Aguilar as the shooter and noted he had fled in a black Ford F-350.
Witnesses told investigators that the violence erupted during a social gathering. According to court records, a group of friends were drinking when Aguilar and his companions arrived.
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A physical fight broke out between Aguilar and Cruz, which bystanders eventually moved to break up. However, after the groups separated, Aguilar walked to the front yard, armed himself, and opened fire toward both victims before driving away.
The search for Aguilar quickly crossed county lines. After the Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert for the pickup truck, deputies in Sumter County spotted the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Officers noted bullet holes on the side of the truck and detained Aguilar, who was a passenger at the time.
Following his arrest, Aguilar admitted to investigators that he had pulled the trigger but maintained that he acted in self-defense. After reviewing the evidence and witness testimony, the jury rejected that claim.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Edward Moffitt and Assistant State Attorney Eduardo Faria. Aguilar is currently being held as he awaits his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at 9 a.m.
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