A Miami man who police said killed a mother and her son because he "heard voices" that "told him to do it," and believed one of the victims was the devil based on movies he'd watched, was found guilty by jurors on two counts of first-degree murder.
Ronnie Candelaria, 32, was convicted on Thursday for the premeditated murder of 62-year-old Gale Sikora and her 24-year-old son, Anthony Sikora.
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WATCH HEREThe shooting happened in 2014 inside a home in the area of Southwest 143rd Avenue and Southwest 96th Street. Police responded after receiving multiple 911 calls of shots fired in the area around 4 a.m.
During closing arguments on Thursday, state attorneys told jurors Candelaria invaded the mother and son's home with the intention of killing Anthony, but the mother was just collateral damage.
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“He accomplished his goal by firing multiple rounds into Anthony’s head," said Johnathan Nobile, an assistant state attorney.
Prosecutors said Candelaria was packed with a magazine, ammunition, a handgun and an AK-74 when he broke into the Sikora home and fired 82 times. Gale was shot 14 times with the high-powered rifle, according to Nobile.
Following his arrest, Candelaria told detectives he believed the son was the devil after watching "The Punisher," "The Punisher: War Zone," "Little Nicky" and the TV show "Breaking Bad," according to an arrest affidavit.
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Police said the scene was bloody and that the shooter used a gun to blast through a glass door after failing to shoot through the front door.
During the trial, Candelaria's attorney admitted his client was a killer, but suggested jurors should convict on a lesser charge like manslaughter or second-degree murder and not first-degree.
Jurors deliberated and reached a quick guilty-as-charged verdict on Thursday, and Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson sentenced Candelaria to a mandatory life sentence.
"I want to appeal," Candelaria said before he was sent away.
