Florida man faces multiple charges in relation to home break-in, deadly deputy-involved shooting | FOX 35 Orlando
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Florida man faces multiple charges in relation to home break-in, deadly deputy-involved shooting

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Published  March 20, 2025 6:58pm EDT
Orange County
FOX 35 Orlando

SUSPECT: Cristian Contreras | VICTIM: Jose Lopez

The Brief

    • A man was shot and killed by Orange County deputies after they mistakenly believed he was holding another man hostage with a knife, though no weapon was found.
    • The suspect, Cristian Contreras, who had broken into the home after an argument, now faces multiple charges, including second-degree felony murder, as his actions allegedly led to the fatal shooting.

ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orlando man faces multiple charges in relation to a home break-in turned deadly deputy-involved shooting. 

Original article: Orange County deputies shoot, kill man armed with knife overnight, deputies say

What happened the night of Feb. 8?

The backstory:

On Feb. 8, shortly after 11:30 p.m., 26-year-old Jose Luis Lopez was inside his home located on W Castle Street when someone began breaking into his home, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Police later identified the suspect as Lopez's friend, 25-year-old Cristian Contreras.

Related article: Florida homeowner reports break-in and is shot, killed by deputies who believed he had knife: officials

Deputies said Contreras had planned to stay the night at the residence but was kicked out after an argument over splitting the cost of beer. 

He refused an Uber ride home and used a ladder to break into the house, officials said. 

Bodycam video: Homeowner killed in deputy-involved shooting

New body camera footage reveals the moments leading up to a deadly deputy-involved shooting that happened in February in Orange County. Deputies responded to a 911 call after someone broke into a man’s home, and one of the deputies shot and killed the homeowner, believing he was holding a knife, officials said.

When deputies arrived at the home, they heard a man yelling for help in Spanish. They saw the two men through a kitchen window and began ordering them out of the residence. 

Authorities said the deputies saw one of the men – later identified as Contreras – being held "hostage" in a headlock and believed he was in imminent danger.

Deputies could be heard on the bodycam video telling the other man, later identified as Lopez, multiple times to "drop the knife" before both deputies fired shots, striking and killing Lopez.

According to an arrest warrant, Contreras later told detectives in an interview that Lopez never had a knife, and he tried to communicate with deputies, but he didn't speak or understand English, so his communication attempts were unsuccessful.

Contreras faces multiple charges in Lopez's death

Contreras faces four charges including:

  • Second degree felony murder (burglary)
  • Burglary of dwelling
  • Burglary of a conveyance
  • Petit theft

Deputies said his break-in led directly to Lopez's death. Contreras pleaded not guilty to all four charges.

Orange County deputies shoot, kill man armed with knife overnight, deputies say

Officials have not released specific details on what led up to deputies firing their weapons.

Did a language barrier play a factor in the shooting?

Experts said the language barrier may have played a role in the shooting. 

"I really truly think the language barrier may play a huge role in this shooting, and hopefully they can learn to cope with that in terms of training or at least getting that information through the communication center and translate that to the deputies on the scene," law enforcement expert, James Copenhaver, said. 

What's next:

A sentencing hearing has not yet been set by the court.

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The Source: The information in this article comes from the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the Orange County Clerk of Courts. 

Orange CountyCrime and Public Safety