MELBOURNE, Fla. — Melbourne police have made an arrest in connection with a murder last month.
Police arrested Gianluca Massaro on charges of second-degree murder in the death of Kent Wilbanks.
Wilbanks, 53, was found unresponsive in the early hours of Feb. 8 in a parking lot in downtown Melbourne.
Investigators believe that Wilbanks made an unwanted sexual advance on Massaro, 21, an Italian national, and Massaro took offense and struck the victim several times.
Massaro was arrested Wednesday afternoon near his Indialantic home.
An unnamed friend of Wilbanks said the arrest is a relief and can provide closure for those close to him.
Investigators believe that Massaro is the man who was seen in surveillance video before Wilbanks was found unresponsive. Massaro's family owns a restaurant near where Wilbanks was found.
A taxi driver said he remembered Massaro was disturbed and his knuckles were visibily red.
Investigators said the incident isn’t considered a hate crime.
"It's a hateful incident, but it is not per statute a hate crime. Mr. Massaro did not seek out Mr. Wilbanks based on any sort of religious (belief), sexual orientation or anything along those lines," Melbourne Police Cmdr. Dan Lynch said.
Massaro has to surrender his passport while the case is pending.
Cox Media Group
