Alejandro Vargas Martinez, a 15-year-old student from Boone High School in Orlando, Florida, was tragically killed on December 18, 2018. Alejandro, affectionately known as Alex, was walking to school early in the morning, talking to his mother on his cellphone, when he was approached by DeAndre Eugene Florence and a 16-year-old accomplice, Denim Williams. Florence, who was 18 at the time, attempted to rob Alejandro of his cellphone.
During the robbery, Florence shot Alejandro, leaving him to die on the street. This senseless act of violence cut short the life of a bright young student with a promising future.
The case took nearly five years to resolve, with numerous twists and turns along the way. Florence was a suspect from the beginning, but it took years for authorities to build a solid case against him. The investigation was revived when the Attorney General’s Office launched a cold case unit to re-examine long-open homicide investigations. This renewed effort led to Florence's arrest on charges of first-degree murder, robbery by snatching, racketeering, and other related crimes. Florence was also linked to a series of other robberies, commercial burglaries, and car thefts in Orange and Seminole counties during late 2018 and early 2019.
Denim Williams, Florence's accomplice, was also involved in the crime spree. However, Williams was shot and killed during another robbery attempt a few weeks after Alejandro's murder. Florence had previously been convicted of second-degree murder in connection with that incident and had recently been released from prison before being arrested again for Alejandro's murder.
The arrest of Florence brought some measure of closure to Alejandro's grieving family. At a news conference announcing the arrest, Alejandro's aunt, Dolka Martinez, expressed the family's ongoing pain and their hope for justice. She described Alejandro as a beloved son, sibling, and student whose life was tragically cut short by gun violence. The family had never lost faith that justice would be served, and they continued to honor Alejandro's memory every day.
Florence is currently being held without bail in the Orange County jail, awaiting trial for the charges related to Alejandro's death. The case highlights the devastating impact of gun violence on families and communities and underscores the importance of persistent investigative efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
