Alexander Bello-Ortiz, a 22-year-old Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student and Air Force ROTC cadet, was found dead in his Daytona Beach home on September 6, 2020. Initially, his death was ruled a suicide by the Daytona Beach Police Department. Bello-Ortiz was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head, and a rifle was found beside him. The police quickly closed the case, concluding that he had taken his own life.
However, his family was not convinced by this conclusion and began their own investigation, believing that there was more to the story.
The family of Alexander Bello-Ortiz hired a private investigator and an audio forensic expert to analyze the evidence. They discovered what they believed to be significant discrepancies in the initial investigation. The family obtained police body camera footage and home security video, which they claimed revealed a struggle between Alexander and another person before the fatal shot was fired. This new evidence prompted the Daytona Beach Police Department to reopen the case in response to the family's persistent efforts and the compelling evidence they presented.
In March 2023, the family filed a federal lawsuit against one of Bello-Ortiz's roommates, alleging that he was responsible for Alexander's death. The lawsuit accused the Daytona Beach Police Department of failing to properly investigate the case, including not preserving the crime scene, not formally interviewing the roommates, and not testing for gunshot residue or DNA on the weapon. The family also alleged that the roommate called his father, a retired Air Force captain, for advice on how to stage the scene before calling 911. These allegations were supported by audio recordings from a Ring camera.
The wrongful death lawsuit culminated in a weeklong trial, which concluded with a jury awarding $4 million to Bello-Ortiz's family in December 2024. The jury found that the evidence pointed to the roommate being responsible for Alexander's death. Despite the civil court's verdict, no criminal charges have been filed against the roommate. The family and their attorneys have called for a U.S. Justice Department investigation into the conduct of the Daytona Beach Police Department, hoping that it will lead to a third investigation and potentially criminal proceedings.
Throughout this ordeal, Alexander's mother, Maria Lourdes Ortiz, has been a vocal advocate for her son, seeking justice and transparency. She has expressed her determination to uncover the truth about her son's death, describing him as her world and vowing to fight for him until her last breath. The case remains a poignant example of a family's relentless pursuit of justice in the face of institutional shortcomings and the complexities of the legal system.
