Troy Victorino and the 2004 Deltona Massacre
Overview
In August 2004, Troy Victorino, a 27-year-old ex-convict with a violent past, committed one of the most brutal mass murders in Florida’s history. Known as the "Deltona Massacre," the crime took place on the night of August 6–7, 2004, in Deltona, Florida. Along with three accomplices—Jerone Hunter (18), Michael Salas (18), and Robert Cannon (18)—Victorino invaded a home and slaughtered six young people using aluminum baseball bats. The victims were targeted after Victorino was angered over being evicted from the property a few days earlier.
The Crime
The killings occurred after Victorino’s belongings were removed from a vacant house he had been squatting in, which was owned by the grandmother of one of the victims. Enraged, Victorino assembled his accomplices, armed with bats, and stormed the nearby home of his perceived enemies. In a horrifying display of violence, they bludgeoned six individuals to death, leaving the community shocked and devastated. The attack was so savage that investigators described the scene as one of the most gruesome in Florida’s criminal history.
The Victims
The victims, most in their teens and twenties, were friends who had gathered in the house that night. Their lives were brutally cut short in what authorities later described as a premeditated act of revenge.
- Jonathan Gleason, 17 – friend of the group, murdered inside the house.
- Erin Belanger, 22 – granddaughter of the property owner, had been living in the house where the murders took place.
- Francisco “Flaco” Ayo-Roman, 30 – a guest at the home, killed during the rampage.
- Roberto “Tito” Gonzalez, 28 – friend of Erin Belanger, slain with the others.
- Anthony Vega, 34 – another guest, murdered in the home.
- Michelle Nathan, 19 – friend of the group, also killed that night.
...Read More
Account
