Glades County man accused of firing gun in LaBelle neighborhood

Reporter: Tiffany Rizzo Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Jim Penate-Martinez
20-year-old Jim Penate-Martinez (Credit: Glades County Sheriff’s Office)

The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office says a man has been arrested who they say fired several shots in a LaBelle neighborhood last month.

The sheriff’s office says 20-year-old Jim Penate-Martinez fired a gun in the area of Belmont Street and 6th Ave in LaBelle just after 10 p.m. on August 27.

Deputies say they found several shell casings in the roadway. An investigation by the sheriff’s office determined that there were multiple vehicles involved in the shooting, with one person shooting from their car into the other.

A man who lives in the neighborhood captured the entire thing on his doorbell camera.

Still image of the shooting from a nearby doorbell camera.

“Right there, so he stops right there, and this is where he starts shooting right there the flashes,” said Amos Myrtil, who captured the shooting. “For me, my first impression it was fireworks, which was not true.”

When Myrtil went to see what happened, he found a group of Hendy County deputies.

“I see the police walking on the street looking for something I don’t know. What was it? At that time, I get the impression that the shooting, it was the shooting,” said Myrtil.

Hendy County deputies identified the car as belonging to Penate-Martinez, who they believe is also the shooter.

A search warrant was issued for Penate-Martinez’s Glades county home. Glades County deputies conducted the search warrant and found marijuana and heroin in the home.

Penate-Martinez was arrested and is being held by the Glades County Sheriff’s Office on a $160,000 bond for the drug charges and is also being for charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief from the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office.

Myrtil said he is happy the suspected shooter is off the street. “I’m glad to hear this morning that they caught the guy. Maybe they won’t come back again. So the police did a good job.”

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