A 22-year-old Mulberry man is sitting in jail after deputies say his dramatic claim of a drive-by shooting at his home unraveled into something far less cinematic: an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The case kicked off Sunday afternoon when the man showed up at Lakeland Regional Health with a gunshot wound to his leg. Investigators say the story he told at the hospital did not line up with what they later found back at his Mulberry home.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, detectives were called after 22-year-old James Ansony Sosa-Pinto arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound to his left leg. Deputies searching a bedroom at his residence reported finding blood, a spent shell casing, a stray bullet and an impact mark on the floor. Medical staff determined the bullet had entered his thigh and exited his calf, and noted powder burns on the wound and on Sosa-Pinto’s left hand.
When detectives confronted him with what they had found, Sosa-Pinto allegedly walked back his original story and was taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center. He now faces charges that include False Report of a Firearm Used in a Violent Manner, which is a second-degree felony, along with possession of cannabis resin and possession of drug paraphernalia, as reported by the Tampa Free Press.
Evidence at the Scene Told a Different Story
"Evidence showed that Sosa-Pinto accidentally shot himself," the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in its news release, pointing to powder burns near the entry wound and on his hand as key details. Deputies say they also found multiple vape cartridges containing THC resin along with other drug paraphernalia during the search, which led to the drug-related counts.
Legal Fallout
Under Florida law, making a false report about the use of a firearm in a violent manner is a second-degree felony that can carry serious penalties. The statute also allows courts to order restitution for costs and damages tied to the false report. The offense and its potential consequences are outlined in Florida statute 790.163.
Sosa-Pinto remains in custody at the Polk County Sheriff's Processing Center while the case moves forward. It is now up to the Polk County State Attorney’s Office to decide whether to file formal charges and set court dates. Investigators say the physical evidence inside the home, rather than any indication of an actual drive-by outside, is what led them to conclude the shot was self-inflicted and to pursue the false-report allegation.
