Alexander Deltoro (Mug shot from the Margate Police Department)
A Florida man facing charges in the shooting death of his mother, when she broke up a fight between him and his father after the three had been out celebrating his 28th birthday, unsuccessfully tried to argue self-defense under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
Alexander Deltoro, 32, appeared in a hearing this week to argue for the dismissal of his manslaughter charges in the death of his mother, Cindy Gale Deltoro, 60.
The Sun Sentinel, which has been covering the case, reported the defendant spoke in court on Friday, saying his father was also armed during an argument that escalated to a fight on Dec. 14, 2019.
“He raised his fist at me like he was going to punch me,” Deltoro said in court, the paper reported. “He had me pushed against a wall. I saw his hand go into his pocket. I pretty much knew what he was going for.”
The judge rejected the self-defense argument and ordered the case to go before a jury, the newspaper reported.
Cindy Deltoro was killed at the family’s home in Margate, according to a complaint and affidavit. The killing happened when the son and father got into an argument in the car on the drive home after celebrating, the document said. The son allegedly hit his father in the face with his arm during the ride and when they got home, the argument continued to escalate, and the two began pushing and shoving each other, the affidavit said.
At one point, the dad pinned his son to a concrete wall while holding his left arm behind him, the document said.
“As a result of being pinned into the wall, the defendant’s glasses fell off his face, leaving him unable to see,” the affidavit said. “The defendant, who was unlawfully carrying a concealed 9 mm Glock handgun in a non-retention holster inside his right waistband, attempted to retrieve the firearm. During the physical altercation the victim intervened between the two and was able to separate them.”
Once the defendant and his father separated, the document said, “the defendant produced the firearm, pointed in the direction of the victim and discharged a single round.”
The bullet hit Cindy Deltoro in the face, and she died, police said.
During questioning, police said Deltoro Jr. admitted to carrying a concealed firearm without a permit and that he got “aggravated during the physical altercation and pulled out the firearm, but did not mean to discharge it,” the document said.
“The defendant also stated that without his glasses on he is unable to see,” the affidavit said.
“The defendant’s actions showed a gross and flagrant course of conduct, which was a reckless disregard for human life and the safety of persons exposed to dangers,” the document said.