Yesterday, a Lake County judge sentenced 35-year-old Alexander Aguilar to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a 2019 shooting that left a Mascotte father dead. The judge also imposed a mandatory minimum 25-year term for an aggravated battery conviction tied to the same incident. The punishment caps a seven-year legal saga that began with a violent confrontation in June 2019.
The jury had convicted Aguilar on April 22, 2026, of second-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery with a firearm, according to the Office of the State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Prosecutors said the panel rejected Aguilar's claim of self-defense, and sentencing was set for June 15.
Judge Cary F. Rada handed down the sentence after the courtroom heard emotional statements from the victim's family and final arguments from both sides, the Tampa Free Press reported. Along with the life term on the murder count, the judge added the 25-year mandatory minimum for the aggravated battery conviction.
How The Shooting Unfolded
The shooting took place in June 2019 in Mascotte after what witnesses described as a social gathering that turned physical. Police found 35-year-old Juan Ramon Cruz unresponsive in the street and later pronounced him dead, while a second man was treated for a gunshot wound to the knee. According to the Office of the State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, witnesses told detectives that Aguilar left the scene, armed himself, returned and fired toward both victims, then took off in a black Ford F-350. Deputies in Sumter County later stopped the truck, saw bullet holes, and detained Aguilar, who admitted to firing the shots after being read his rights.
Victim's Family Speaks
At sentencing, Aide Cruz, the victim's mother, told the court she saw her son for the very last time, in a body bag, according to the Tampa Free Press. The outlet also noted that Assistant State Attorney Edward Moffitt prosecuted the case and urged the court to impose a tough sentence.
Closure And Next Steps
The verdict and sentence bring to a close a case that began in June 2019, and local coverage has followed the seven-year path from the original investigation to this week's judgment, Leesburg News reported. With the jury's April 22, 2026, guilty verdict now followed by sentencing, Aguilar will serve life in prison without parole, plus the court-ordered mandatory term for aggravated battery.
