WINTER PARK, Fla. — Two construction workers are recovering in the hospital after they were shot while trying to stop a theft at a job site in Central Florida, according to Winter Park Police Department.
Investigators said the shooting happened Tuesday afternoon at a home under construction in Winter Park. They said two suspects were stealing tools when a confrontation with workers on site turned violent.
Police said the double shooting led to a vehicle chase that stretched from Orange County into Seminole County, ending with suspects in custody in Lake Mary.
Javier Riano, owner of Rigal Window Installation, told Channel 9 his crew of four men were working upstairs in the home when they noticed a suspicious car outside. Employees say they saw suspects walk into the front door of the home, grab a handful of tools, and load them into a vehicle.
“They just started grabbing stuff like it was Home Depot or something,” Riano said. “That’s when the guys walked behind him and confronted him.”
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Lazaro Perez said he was the first to notice the men stealing tools and warned his coworkers. He said he was only about six feet away when the suspects began shooting.
“When I felt the first shot, I threw myself to the ground,” he said in Spanish.
Perez was not injured, but Riano says two of his employees were shot multiple times. He said he called 911 while trying to comfort them as they waited for help.
“They were screaming that it hurt a lot,” Perez said. “I was next to them, holding their hands, making sure they were OK.”
Hours after the shooting, bullet casings could still be seen scattered along Overlook Road. A power tool was also left behind in the street.
Perez said he was able to give police a description of the suspects’ vehicle.
According to Winter Park police, the suspects fled the scene in a green Ford Fusion, leading officers on a chase that stretched more than 10 miles before ending at a strip mall off Greenwood Boulevard in Lake Mary.
Witnesses said the suspects pulled into the shopping plaza, where the situation quickly unfolded. Video obtained by Channel 9 shows the moment the suspects were taken into custody. Police have not yet released additional details about the suspects or potential charges.
Both Perez and Riano said they are relieved the suspects are now in custody but remain shaken by what happened.
“I mean, it’s just a couple of dollars. It’s not worth it,” Riano said. “I don’t know what could go through someone’s head to do that.”
The two injured workers have since undergone surgery. Riano said both men are still in significant pain and are waiting to learn more from the medical team about what their recovery will look like.
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