Arrest made in shooting death of Cape teen
An arrest has been made in connection with the shooting death of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller.
Thomas Roy Stein, 16, of North Fort Myers, was arrested Tuesday night and charged as a principal to a murder while engaged in a robbery, Cape Coral Police Department officials announced this morning.
Rincon-Miller was shot in the chest Sunday night after she and two friends were walking to get food after watching a movie at the Coralwood Mall. She died after being trauma alerted to the hospital. The other two girls were not injured.
Police say they were ambushed by individuals who jumped out of a car and attempted to rob them.
“We do know there are others involved in this homicide,” said CCPD Public Affairs Officer Lisa Greenberg during the press conference Wednesday. “There is still more work to be done. Our detectives’ diligent work around the clock continues today to continue to narrow this investigation.”
Greenberg said based on evidence, CCPD believes the incident was not a random act of violence. She added the vehicle used in the robbery/shooting has been identified as a silver Nissan Pathfinder, which was rented by Stein’s mother.
“Our detectives’ swift actions in the hours since the shooting, and the help of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, led to last night’s successful arrest of our suspect,” Greenberg said.
Police say they have been in close contact with Rincon-Miller’s family, and that they have been made aware of the arrest and findings.
Records show Stein was transported to Lee County Jail, and then moved to the Southwest Florida Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
CCPD asks that anyone with information regarding the shooting, anyone who has any surveillance videos that may help detectives, or who saw what happened, to call the Cape Coral Police Department at 239-574-3223, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).