A man accused of shooting and killing his neighbor in a dispute over property lines in 2011 was in a Miami courtroom Tuesday as the defense case begins.
The state rested its case against Jose Mora in the three-year-old incident. Mora took the stand in his own defense Tuesday, testifying through an interpreter about being harassed and disrespected by his former neighbor, Julio Pena.
A bitter feud between Mora and Pena ended with Mora shooting and killing Pena over a parking spot.
Police say the two men had been arguing over the property line and a fence between their houses in the 300 block of West 40th Place in Hialeah when Mora retrieved the gun and shot Pena.
Pena, who was married with a young daughter at the time, was killed at the scene. Mora was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
Police said the 33-year-old Pena had been moving a truck so he could keep working on a new room he was adding to his home.
Defense attorneys expect the case to end Thursday.
