A domestic dispute escalated into a shooting Sunday morning after a man allegedly broke into a Mount Dora home and was shot by the homeowner, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported in an email.
The incident occurred at about 8:48 a.m. on Saturday at the home of Corey Latourelle on Cheval Street. On arrival, deputies encountered two witnesses, Amelia Padilla and Christopher Lane, on the front porch.
Was it personal?
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Mount Dora Police, the confrontation began as a verbal dispute before turning violent.
Inside a bedroom, authorities located Michael Lutz suffering from gunshot wounds to both arms and his torso. Officers from the Mount Dora Police Department were rendering aid to Lutz before he was transported by Lake County EMS to a local hospital.
Latourelle identified himself to deputies as the shooter, according to a police report. He told investigators the handgun used in the incident was located on a nightstand in his bedroom.
Deputy Sheriff Hightower reported finding two .45-caliber shell casings at the foot of the bed. A second handgun was also discovered on a separate nightstand in the same room
Lutz approached the residence and began knocking and banging on the front door and windows. He then gained entry to the home through an unlocked sliding glass door.
Once inside, the man reportedly kicked in a bedroom door. At that point, the homeowner fired two shots, striking the intruder.
The LCSO’s initial media statement said that there was a domestic link between the parties. The man who was shot is reportedly the husband of the homeowner’s girlfriend.
Investigators noted that the couple is currently in the process of a divorce.
While previous reports indicated a domestic connection involving a divorce, the sheriff’s office has not officially released a motive, according to the arrest report.
Following the shooting, investigators secured the scene, including a rear sliding glass door and a bedroom window.
Lutz’s vehicle was towed to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office impound yard to be processed for evidence. The case has been turned over to the Criminal Investigations Bureau.
Were charges filed?
Lutz was conscious and breathing when emergency responders arrived. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment; his current condition has not been released.
“There is a warrant for Lutz’s arrest, and there are deputies at the hospital with him,” the LCSO’s spokesperson told the Daily Commercial.
Lutz is being charged with one count of burglary and will be held without bond. “He will be arrested once he is released from the hospital,” the spokesperson added.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Mount Dora homeowner shoots intruder in domestic dispute
Reporting by Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial / Daily Commercial
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