Insets, from left: Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez (Collier County Jail) and Jason Sheffield (Dignity Memorial). Background: Neighborhood in Naples, Florida, where police say Rodriguez accidentally shot Sheffield (WINK).
A Florida man fired off several shots in the middle of the night after he thought there was a bear in the chicken coop — but he actually struck and killed his neighbor.
Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez, 25, is facing a charge of manslaughter with a firearm in the death of his 30-year-old neighbor Jason Sheffield in Naples.
“By intentionally firing a lethal weapon in a residential area and in the direction of a known residence, at an unidentified target during the nighttime hours, or without confirming the target’s identity or ensuring the area beyond the target was clear, Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez engaged in conduct that grossly deviated from the standard of care expected of a reasonable person and demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of others,” detectives with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office concluded.
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Rodriguez called 911 shortly before 8:30 a.m. March 27, a probable cause arrest affidavit said. He frantically told dispatchers he thought he was shooting at a bear in the middle of the night outside his home in the 2700 block of 8th Street SE. But when he woke up and went to investigate, he found his neighbor dead, with a gunshot wound to the back.
Investigators found multiple shell casings from two different caliber firearms. After receiving his Miranda rights, Rodriguez explained he was sleeping on his couch when his girlfriend woke him up and said she heard a noise coming from outside. Thinking it was a wild animal attacking the chicken coop, she asked him to go check.
He grabbed a small-caliber rifle and fired several warning shots, the affidavit stated. He went inside and took out a more powerful rifle. Rodriguez said he continued to hear movement and fired one shot to the ground hoping the noise would scare the animal away. According to the affidavit, Rodriguez told investigators he thought whatever he was hearing “began walking directly toward” him.
The suspect fired one shot in the direction of the noise, which was also toward Sheffield’s property, cops wrote. After that, the noise ceased. He admitted he never saw what he was shooting at, cops said. He went back inside the home and went to bed with the intention of checking out the area in the morning. Once he woke up he looked in the area of the chicken coop but did not see anything.
Rodriguez walked over to Sheffield’s property and found him lying face down on the ground with blood coming from the back of his shirt. He called 911.
Rodriguez said he had no issues with Sheffield, according to the affidavit. In fact, the two were out grilling the night before the shooting. Rodriguez showed investigators a photo of the two of them. Sheffield was wearing the same clothes in the photo as when his body was found.
An autopsy found Sheffield died from a large-caliber gunshot wound to the back.
After a four-month investigation, authorities determined Rodriguez’s actions were “culpably negligent.” He was arrested on Tuesday and is being held in the Collier County Jail without bond. His next court dates are set for Aug. 4 and Aug. 24.
Sheffield leaves behind a wife and four children, his obituary said.
“Jason was a gifted guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Music was his language of love, one he shared with his children, his wife, his parents, and anyone lucky enough to hear him play. His songs will continue to echo in the hearts of those who knew him,” the obituary said.
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