A 13-year-old Cocoa boy who police said shot and killed a 30-year-old man in a botched robbery has been indicted by the Brevard grand jury.
The teen — whose name FLORIDA TODAY is not disclosing because of his age — was formally charged with first-degree felony murder and attempted robbery in connection with the Nov. 16 shooting death of Kelby Miller, 30.
Prosecutors plan to charge the teen as an adult, which means he could spend the rest of his life in state prison. The boy told detectives that he fired the gun accidentally, records show.
The case unfolded after Miller called 911 about 10:28 p.m. Nov. 16 from near Bristol Drive in Cocoa. Responding patrol officers found Miller, who told officers one person was responsible for the attack, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the torso. Paramedics airlifted him to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Miller’s wallet, money and keys to his truck were found at the scene.
Detectives said that Miller had driven earlier to a vacant home on Bristol Drive to meet with someone he had made contact with through an unidentified social media app. The teen turned up at the truck and attempted to rob Miller, records show.
Detectives later located video showing the teen walking back and forth in the neighborhood before Miller pulled into the area. The teen was also seen on video running toward the area where Miller was parked after about two minutes after Miller texted to say he had arrived. Investigators, however, said Miller had likely been communicating with an unidentified accomplice who possibly directed the teen on the robbery.
The state attorney’s office said in a news release that upon questioning by police, the teen identified himself as the person in the video, as did his mother, but that he did not implicate anyone else in the murder.
The boy will remain in juvenile holding at the Brevard County Jail Complex pending trial.
The case is one of 22 reported homicides to take place in Brevard County this year.
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641or jgallop@floridatoday.com. X: @JDGallop.
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J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641or jgallop@floridatoday.com. X: @JDGallop.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa boy, 13, indicted on murder charge in Port St. John man’s death
Reporting by J.D. Gallop, Florida Today / Florida Today
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