A Longwood man is heading to state prison for two decades after prosecutors say he viciously beat an Uber driver in 2023, leaving the driver hospitalized with serious facial injuries. On Monday, 34-year-old Marquis A. Delcampo was sentenced to 20 years behind bars after a Seminole County jury in January convicted him of aggravated battery on a rideshare driver. The victim, 50-year-old Jovanny Mercado Guzman, suffered a broken nose and a fractured upper jawbone and required hospital treatment.
Trial and evidence
According to a press release from the Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit, jurors found Delcampo guilty after seeing a stack of evidence that included witnesses’ cellphone video, surveillance footage from a nearby business, Uber trip records, and medical documentation. The release notes that Delcampo tried to invoke Florida’s Stand Your Ground law at trial, but that effort failed. Jurors also agreed he should be classified as a Prison Releasee Reoffender, a status that opened the door to tougher penalties during the second phase of the trial, where prosecutors argued his prior prison time and the strength of the evidence warranted an enhanced sentence.
The attack in Casselberry
As reported by WESH, the confrontation unfolded around 8:50 a.m. on Sunday, on East State Road 436 in Casselberry. Prosecutors say the ride had ended, and the Uber driver stopped and asked Delcampo to get out. Instead, Delcampo allegedly refused to leave, then stepped out and repeatedly struck Mercado Guzman in the face and head while bystanders recorded the attack. Video and trip records introduced at trial tied Delcampo to the scene.
Sentencing and enhancements
In a separate release from the Office of the State Attorney, prosecutors said Circuit Judge Jessica Reckseidler sentenced Delcampo to a mandatory minimum of 15 years as a Prison Releasee Re-Offender, which the office says comes with no time off for good behavior, followed by an additional five years as a Habitual Felony Offender. Delcampo was also ordered to pay $2,500 toward the cost of prosecution, a figure that included hiring a doctor to confirm and document the victim’s injuries.
What comes next
With sentencing complete, prosecutors say the case wraps up a prosecution that leaned heavily on bystander recordings and surveillance footage. Local prosecutors and law enforcement have pointed to the cellphone and security video as key to securing the conviction, as WESH reported.
