A 21-year-old man is behind bars after detectives accused him of gunning down a well-known North Miami Beach barber while the victim was out rollerblading near his home last fall. The shooting happened on Oct. 1, 2024, and left 36-year-old Wilton “Frieza” Mena dead, surviving him are his wife and two young sons.
According to Local 10, North Miami Beach police arrested Ryan Sutton on Thursday. Miami-Dade corrections records show he was booked shortly before 2:05 a.m. Friday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Court documents list a charge of second-degree murder with a weapon.
Records also indicate Sutton had an outstanding warrant and was on probation at the time for two counts of sexual battery on a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a child, Local 10 reported.
Police say Mena was shot while rollerblading near Northeast 167th Street and Northeast 18th Avenue on Oct. 1, 2024. Investigators later released surveillance video of his final movements as they appealed for tips. As reported by CBS Miami, Mena worked at Cibao Barbershop, and his relatives publicly begged anyone with information to come forward while Crime Stoppers offered a reward for leads. Hoodline previously covered the case when he was fatally shot while rollerblading.
Investigation and next steps
Detectives have not publicly discussed a possible motive, and the investigation remains active. Local 10 reports that Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Laura A. Stuzin was set to preside over the murder case and Sutton was scheduled for an initial court appearance. Prosecutors are expected to review the evidence and determine whether to pursue any additional charges as the case moves toward arraignment.
What the charge means
Under Florida law, second-degree murder covers killings “perpetrated by any act imminently dangerous to another and evincing a depraved mind” and is a felony of the first degree punishable by life in prison or a term of years, according to Florida Legislature. The statute also outlines circumstances in which deaths that occur during the commission of certain felonies may be charged as murder.
Mena’s family has repeatedly urged anyone with information to speak up and has described the loss as devastating. “Please, please, can everybody please just help so we can get justice for my brother,” his sister Cindy said in earlier interviews, according to CBS Miami. Police continue to ask for tips through Crime Stoppers.
