Inset: Melquan Stewart (Charlotte County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The Port Charlotte, Florida, home where the shooting occurred (WBBH/YouTube).
A man in Florida is accused of shooting and killing his father because “he had been on his case” about getting a job and paying his own rent, authorities say.
Melquan Stewart, 25, has been charged with murder, court records reveal. The incident occurred on Monday in Port Charlotte, around 95 miles south of Tampa.
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The defendant was at his residence when his father showed up, according to an affidavit of probable cause reviewed by Law&Crime. Glenn Stewart, as he was identified by local outlets such as CBS affiliate WINK, wanted his son to “show him documentation to prove that he was working on getting his military paperwork.”
Melquan Stewart said that his father, whose age is unclear, “had been on his case to get a job and start paying his own rent, as the victim had been paying for it for the past four months,” per the court document. Glenn Stewart was apparently in the driver’s seat of his Volkswagen Taos SUV, and the defendant walked to the rear passenger seat where he placed his bag.
Then he said he “heard voices” in his head “telling him to shoot the victim,” the affidavit said.
This was not the first time Melquan Stewart had heard voices, he later told authorities. However, he noted that this was the first time that he listened to them, and he “began shooting the victim through the rolled down front passenger window” with his Ruger LC9 handgun, according to the affidavit.
As Melquan Stewart reportedly shot his father six times, the older man put his vehicle in reverse in an attempt to get away. The defendant subsequently ran over, “pulled the victim from the vehicle and placed him on the driveway, where he shot him one more time and then placed his arms over his chest and told him that he loved him.”
The defendant then got into the SUV and set his navigation to direct him to Miami. However, he had a change of heart and “decided he wanted to go back,” according to the affidavit.
Law enforcement officers were already at the scene — after 911 callers had reported seeing someone “pulling another subject out from a vehicle,” followed by gunshots, and that there was “someone in the driveway bleeding.” Glenn Stewart had gunshot wounds largely on the right side of his body and there was “apparent blood” surrounding him. He was brought to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
As Melquan Stewart approached officers, he “was observed to have apparent blood on his person,” authorities said. He reportedly told them he was “coming to turn himself in and mentioned the voices in his head.” He was detained.
Law enforcement also found suspected blood stains on the outside and inside of the SUV, as well as a black semiautomatic handgun “in plain view” on the front passenger floorboard, the affidavit noted.
The defendant had his first court appearance on Monday, and he is scheduled for a criminal hearing on Thursday. He is being held without bond.
