Murders Frighten Local Residents

Broward criminal attorney William Moore has learned that four people are facing charges following a murder in Lauderdale Lakes. Henry Mancilla, who was 24 years old, was shot to death after being caught in the crossfire between a friend of Mancilla’s and another man. The incident apparently arose due to another man’s jealousy over a former girlfriend.

Broward criminal defense lawyer Moore, who follows local crime closely, knows that bullets frequently have unintended victims and unintended consequences. In this case, Mancilla was killed while sticking up for a friend, according to the police report. Mancilla intended to marry soon and he was the father of a three-year-old boy. He had recently relocated to south Florida. “He was a loving brother, a loving son, a loving father. He passed away being there for one of his friends,” Alonso Mancilla, 21, the younger brother of Henry Mancilla said.

Angel Luis Cruz, 24, of Lauderdale Lakes; Peter Jacob MacDonald, 18, of Hollywood; Lernio Colin, 19, of Royal Fort Lauderdale; and Cruz’s brother Christopher Thomas Harter, 29, who resides in Oregon, have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. The charges are murder and attempted murder.

According to the police report, Mancilla and his friends had a bout of trouble with the four men who were later arrested. The men allegedly “jumped” them, but they were able to escape. Later, those men confronted them again, this time heavily armed. The confrontation came after one of Mancilla’s friends exchanged heated text messages with one of the perpetrators. The men knew each other prior to the crime. Altogether, between six and eight shots were fired. One of the bullets struck Mancilla fatally in the chest. The defendants were allegedly armed with a baseball bat and a walking stick in addition to at least one gun. Cruz’s former girlfriend was the woman at issue in the dispute, but it is not clear which of Mancilla’s friends was the actual target.

In another tragic headline, Fort Lauderdale criminal attorney Moore reports that the Broward County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Deerfield Beach incident. So far, they believe that Francisco Dacunha, 68, and an unidentified woman died in a murder-suicide at Dacunha’s apartment on April 18 or 19. Law enforcement officials recovered a weapon alongside the bodies. The police received a 911 call requesting that they check on Dacunha. The responding police officer peered through the apartment window and saw blood. Police officers forced entry into the apartment, only to discover the pair already dead.

Broward criminal lawyer William Moore has experience in all kinds of criminal defense, including sex crimes and DUI. A conviction for a felony or misdemeanor can have consequences on your freedom, your employment, and your personal life. If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in the south Florida area, contact William Moore, P.A., which has offices in Fort Lauderdale-Dade, Broward, and Fort Lauderdale Counties.