Indian River County - Tuesday March 19, 2023: A 16 year old boy is now facing murder charges in connection with the deaths of two young men in the Vero Lake Estates subdivision last week.
At a news conference Monday afternoon Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers announced that the teen has been charged with two-counts of third degree murder, dangerous and depraved, without premeditation; and two-counts of first degree accessory after the fact.
Last week 17 year old Jamie C. Mosqueda of Fellsmere was charged with two-counts of first degree murder, dangerous and depraved, without premeditation. He is accused of being the shooter in a drug deal gone bad who fired 20 shots killing Joseph Cardella of Melbourne, and Logan Thompson of Palm Bay. Both were 19-years-old.
The 16 year old initially came forward last week telling investigators that he was only a witness to the shooting. He identified Mosqueda as the gunman, and told detectives where the handgun Mosqueda used could be found. But, Sheriff Flowers said, "We do not believe" the 16 year old "was being completely forthcoming with us."
The Sheriff said they have obtained video and audio evidence from home surveillance cameras in the neighborhood in which Mosqueda and the 16-year old are heard to say, words to the effect of - 'If things go bad we'll just shoot them". Then, after the two 19-year-olds have been shot and killed, Mosqueda and the 16-year-old can be seen shaking hands (pictured above) and high-fiving each other and saying "great job".
Also captured by a neighboring security system was the sound of the gunfire on which 20 shots can be heard, 13 of which struck and killed Cardella and Thompson.
"And so for our witness to come forward and tell us that he had no idea that there was going to be a shooting," that "really goes against what he initially told us", said the Sheriff. "So I am hoping in the coming days, now that he has been charged with these crimes ... he'll tell us the whole story."
The 16-year-old is not being charged as an adult. "He is a juvenile", said the Sheriff "and we are not naming him". Mosqueda, who is 17, is also a juvenile. His name and the charges against him were released last week. He is being charged as an adult, said Flowers.
"It is absolutely a cold blooded killing," said the Sheriff. "We really want to be sure that Mosqueda never gets out, that he doesn't have the ability to do this to anybody else ever again."
DRUG DEAL GONE BAD
Last week the Sheriff said that Cardella and Thompson had gone Vero Lake Estates to purchase about $3,000 worth of THC vape pens from Mosqueda. THC is the active ingredient in cannabis which causes narcotic and psychoactive effects. A THC vape pen vaporize the THC in the pen allowing the fumes to be inhaled.
A person who was with Mosqueda during the transaction and witnessed the shooting went home and told his mother who then called police, according to Sheriff Flowers. The witness also told detectives where to find the handgun that was used in the murders. They recovered a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday, March 11, deputies responded to the reported shooting near the intersection of 79th Street and 105th Court.
One of the victims was found in the front yard. The other was found dead in front of a car that had been damaged by gunfire. There was cash scattered about the scene.
