An Osceola County jury recently convicted 21-year-old Safari Rodriguez on multiple charges, including First Degree Murder, after a violent incident that took two people's peace and left one dead in 2022. According to a report by the Office Of The State Attorney Ninth Judicial Circuit, Rodriguez was found guilty of First Degree Murder with Special Findings, Aggravated Battery with Special Findings, Attempted First Degree Murder with Special Findings, and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
Details of the case reveal that Rodriguez, on June 3, 2022, chose to arm himself with a rifle and subsequently shot Alejandro Guzman as he sat in a car in a driveway. When a woman attempted to intervene and persuade him to disarm, Rodriguez shot her in the head. The surviving victim, despite the sudden violence, managed to seek shelter inside the home along with other occupants, hiding in a bathroom. In a terrifying twist, Rodriguez attempted to force entry into the makeshift refuge but failed to do so before fleeing the scene.
Evidence presented at the trial included testimonies from the three individuals who were targeted in the assault, as well as from witnesses taking shelter during the incident. Prosecutors also employed surveillance footage that tracked Rodriguez's movements both before and after the acts of violence.
The trial, which lasted five days, led to a jury verdict finding Rodriguez guilty on all charges. A sentencing date is yet to be scheduled, however, Rodriguez potentially faces a firearm minimum mandatory sentence ranging from 25 years to life.
