Collier County family’s home shot at early New Year’s Day

Reporter: Taylor Smith Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News.

A family in Collier County wanted to start the new year with a bang, and what they didn’t want was someone firing gunshots through their front yard. Unplanned for, it was the bang they received during early hours of the new year.

Damages can be seen at the Reyes’ family home in Collier County west of Golden Gate. They told Collier County Sheriff’s Office someone fired gunshots at their property early Wednesday morning.

The Reyes family told us they didn’t realize damages to their home were from gunshots at first.

“You hear a noise, and you’re like, ‘OK, more fireworks,” Yaima Reyes said. “You don’t think someone was shooting at your house.”

Around 12:30 a.m. early New Year’s Day, most people would likely agree the sound of a bang would initially be assumed as noise from fireworks. That’s what Yaima’s husband, Royaldn Reyes, thought when gunshots were fired at their home.

“He noticed the front lights were out, and it was dark,” Yaima said.

Royland went outside to check it out, and he noticed bullets had blown out the lights.

“Look on this side; it looks like the bullet hit here,” Royland Reyes said. “And then that’s the bullet right there inside.”

The scary part, their home security camera recording shows the lights going out while their family members walked to their car, the moment they say someone fired the shots.

“It was very scary,” Yaima said.

And the Reyes’ home is less than half a mile from I-75. The family says their surveillance video doesn’t show anyone walking or driving by the home before or after the shooting, so the family thinks it could be someone close by.

The family says deputies told them the bullets likely came from a rifle or powerful gun because of the damage going through the metal of lampposts and bark of trees.

CCSO continues to investigate the shooting incident at the Reyes’ home.

“It wasn’t a joke for kids,” Yaima said. “It was something somebody was doing to be mean to do that.”

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