An argument in a quiet Florida neighborhood tragically escalated into deadly violence, ending the life of 18-year-old Angel CuaCua-Vasquez. The young man, a resident of LaBelle, was remembered by his grieving family as they navigated the sudden and painful loss. In a statement, his loved ones said, "This tragedy has left the family heartbroken and facing a painful time no one should ever have to endure."
The evening of Monday, October 12, 2026, was clear in the small city of LaBelle.
At about 7:40 p.m., Angel was walking with three friends in his neighborhood when a truck carrying two other young men approached them near the El Faro Assembly of God church on Bryan Avenue. According to witnesses and the Hendry County Sheriff's Office, an argument broke out between Angel and the juvenile who was driving the truck.
The verbal dispute quickly turned into a physical fight between the two. As they fought, the passenger in the truck, later identified as 18-year-old David Luis Martinez-Reyes, produced a gun. He opened fire, shooting Angel multiple times. As Angel fell to the ground, Martinez-Reyes allegedly continued to shoot toward Angel's friends as they fled the scene in terror.
When Hendry County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found a young man desperately performing CPR on Angel in the church parking lot. Emergency medical personnel took over life-saving efforts, but Angel CuaCua-Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered five bullet casings from the area, and noted that bullets had shattered a church window and struck a nearby shed.
The investigation, led by Hendry County detectives, quickly led them to a home on Pike Lane in LaBelle. There, they found both the juvenile driver and Martinez-Reyes. After questioning both individuals, and with the execution of a search warrant, detectives determined that Martinez-Reyes had possessed and fired the weapon. According to the arrest report, Martinez-Reyes told detectives he brought the gun because it is "a cruel world" and later asked a sergeant, "If your boy was getting beat, what would you have done?" The sergeant replied, "Not kill someone."
David Luis Martinez-Reyes was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder and three counts of attempted homicide. He was booked into the Hendry County Jail and held without bond. Court records indicated a pretrial detention hearing was scheduled for October 21, 2026. The case was proceeding through the justice system as of that month.
In the days following the shooting, family and friends gathered at the site to honor Angel's memory. They created a makeshift memorial of candles, flowers, and balloons, transforming the tragic scene into a place of remembrance. The close-knit community mourned the sudden loss of a young life. A GoFundMe page was organized by Angel's sister-in-law to help his parents with funeral and legal expenses. The page described the family's struggle to "navigate the difficult responsibilities that come after such a sudden loss."
