A Tampa man who rammed his uncle into a palm tree with a Jeep Wrangler outside a $3 million South Tampa mansion has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison. Jordan Aronson, now 24, pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a weapon in the June 2023 death of his uncle, Scott Grebler, a millionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the charity group 13 Ugly Men.
The crash happened on June 13, 2023, on the 3100 block of West Harbor View Avenue in Tampa's Bayshore Beautiful neighborhood, according to Metro. Surveillance footage showed Grebler throwing a three-ring binder at the Jeep before Aronson drove the vehicle into him and, per attorney Melissa Grajales, rammed his body into a palm tree. A neighbor, Stephen Houzego, told investigators he was walking his dog when he saw the Jeep reverse out of the driveway, accelerate into Grebler, back onto the road, idle for roughly 30 seconds, and then flee after two screams were heard, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Aronson called police after the crash and reported hitting his uncle. Grebler suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including damage to his skull and brain, and was placed on a ventilator before dying at the hospital on June 21, 2023, from wounds caused by the Jeep. Tampa police's initial public release on June 26, 2023, notably omitted both the victim's identity and his family relationship to Aronson, stating only that a 21-year-old driver had struck a pedestrian who threw a binder — details that only emerged later through additional reporting, per the same account from the Times.
From College Pitcher to Homicide Defendant
Before the crash, Aronson was a freshman college baseball pitcher at Lynn University in Boca Raton who trained at the Florida Baseball ARMory in Lakeland, sharing pitching tips and workout routines with a sizable online following that included 52,000 TikTok followers and 23,000 Instagram followers. He was staying at his uncle's mansion at the time to help care for Grebler, who suffered from Parkinson's disease accompanied by severe delusions and memory loss that caused him to misplace money and suspect theft, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Aronson later said his uncle had accused him of stealing money and possessions.
Ten days after the crash, on June 23, 2023, Aronson was arrested in Fort Lauderdale and charged with homicide. He initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. His lawyer claimed Aronson had snapped after keeping his cool during an escalating confrontation with his uncle.
Surprise Plea Deal Ends Case Before Trial
The case took an unexpected turn in March 2026, days before Aronson was set to stand trial for second-degree murder, when defense attorney Craig Wisenhunt withdrew citing an ethical conflict. New defense attorney Robert Malove then unexpectedly told Circuit Judge Gregory Green that the case would instead settle through a plea agreement, a courtroom moment described as bewildering by Court TV, which reported the judge's surprise at the sudden shift in counsel and posture.
Prosecutors ultimately reduced the second-degree murder charge to manslaughter with a weapon as part of the plea agreement. Aronson pleaded guilty to that charge in connection with Grebler's death. Under Florida law, manslaughter with a weapon is reclassified from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony carrying a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, 30 years of probation, and a $10,000 fine, according to Richard Hornsby, P.A. A standard second-degree manslaughter charge without a weapon enhancement carries a maximum of 15 years. The enhancement stems from a 2018 Florida Supreme Court ruling, Shepard v. State, which established that an automobile legally constitutes a weapon under state sentencing law when used to inflict fatal harm, per FindLaw.
The Hillsborough State Attorney's Office said Grebler's family did not want Aronson to face criminal charges. The plea agreement took into account Aronson's lack of a prior criminal record, Grebler's medical issues, and Aronson's prompt call to police after the crash. Aronson was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in state prison for manslaughter with a weapon, followed by five years of probation. He must also complete 50 hours of community service and an anger management course.
A Philanthropist Remembered in South Tampa
Grebler co-founded 13 Ugly Men in the 1990s alongside other local business owners, and the group went on to raise money for children's charities and other causes through community events. Founded in 1994 by Tampa doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs under the motto “party with a purpose,” the organization has raised more than $2 million for over 100 local charities through fundraisers including its annual White Party, according to the City of Tampa. The Tampa City Council formally recognized the group for its community contributions in February 2023.
Friends remembered Grebler for smaller, personal gestures too, including routinely buying up all the holiday cookies from a neighborhood Starbucks each Christmas season to hand out to local children. Following Aronson's July 2023 arraignment on murder charges, 13 Ugly Men board member Anthony Rickman publicly mourned the loss, describing Grebler as a brother to group members whose charitable legacy could not be replaced, according to Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
