More than two years after a deadly confrontation inside a Kendall home shocked neighbors and classmates, a Miami-Dade father has accepted a plea deal in the killing of his son. The agreement, entered Monday, March 30, 2026, in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, shifts the long-running case toward a new phase as court filings and sentencing details are expected to follow.
Plea deal accepted
According to CBS News Miami, the defendant appeared in court Monday and accepted a plea agreement in the 2023 killing. The outlet provided only a brief video update and did not spell out the full terms of the deal.
How the case began
The criminal case traces back to a deadly November 2023 confrontation inside the family’s Kendall residence. Local 10 reported that detectives identified the father as 52-year-old David De Jesus Contreras and said his son, 22-year-old Eric Contreras, a Florida International University student, was found with gunshot wounds. Officers arrested the father at the scene.
Court timeline
As the case moved through Miami-Dade Circuit Court, prosecutors filed a second-degree murder charge, and the defendant initially entered a not guilty plea, according to court records. NBC 6 South Florida later reported that Contreras was placed on house arrest with a GPS monitor. In February 2025, a judge allowed him to move back in with his wife under court-ordered supervision while pretrial proceedings continued.
What the plea could mean
Plea agreements in homicide cases often involve negotiated sentencing recommendations or adjustments to the charges, but any bargain still has to clear a judge and appear in public court records. CBS News Miami reported only that the plea was accepted on Monday, without detailing the specific terms or listing a sentencing date.
Reaction and next steps
Friends and classmates have described Eric as a bright college student whose death rattled those who knew him. Video introduced during earlier hearings captured stunned reactions from neighbors and family in the moments after the shooting. NBC 6 South Florida has followed the family’s court appearances and the video evidence that drew public attention to the case, which now heads toward sentencing following the father’s plea.
