Murdered teen’s family responds to arrest

Published: Updated:
Thomas Stein. CREDIT: LCSO

There’s been an arrest in the murder of fifteen-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller.

The Cape Coral Police Department said they do not believe this was random, and more arrests are on the way.

Sixteen-year-old North Fort Myers boy Thomas Stein was taken into custody Tuesday night on West Mariana Avenue.

He’s charged with murder while engaged in robbery.

Stein is now booked in the Lee County Juvenile Detention Center.

But what about the young girl who will never see her sweet sixteen? How do Rincon-Miller’s family and friends feel about possibly getting justice?

Rincon Miller’s cousins said that from the start, they had a feeling she was targeted. They’re still trying to figure out how Stein knew Rincon-Miller, whether he was a classmate from her old high school Cape Coral High, or her new one, Island Coast High, is something they’re working to figure out.

Kayla Rincon-Miller. CREDIT: Rincon-Miller family

But they said they’re waiting for more details and suspects to emerge.

Rincon MIller’s cousins Sophia Ricketts and Sharmiane Lopez listened to the press conference on Wednesday along with everyone else.

“We feel that this might have been a targeted attack, where she was singled out, and it seemed very strange to everyone that she was the only one that was shot. I believe maybe they followed her from her home,” Lopez said.

Cape Coral police said this is an active and ongoing investigation. They did not take questions at the press conference because they said they want the protect the investigation. If you have any information, please call police or Crime Stoppers. You can remain anonymous.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.