A 19-year-old man in Florida has been charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly stabbed and beat his 67-year-old landlord to death with a wine bottle, following an argument over unpaid rent.
A Grisly Discovery in Davenport
The body of John Torneo, 67, a retired nurse, was discovered in his Davenport-area home after neighbours grew concerned. They had not seen him for several days and received strange messages from his phone. After using a key to enter, they found a bedroom door locked. Inside, they discovered Torneo's body in what Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described as a horrific scene.
"He was found dead, disemboweled, eviscerated on the floor," Sheriff Judd stated, according to reports from Law&Crime. The investigation quickly turned to Julian Trevino, 19, who had been living in Torneo's home since September but was told to leave for failing to pay rent or help with chores.
A Confession and a Trail of Evidence
Authorities focused on Trevino after discovering Torneo's credit cards had been used at a Circle K store and a pizza restaurant where Trevino worked. Sheriff Judd remarked that the suspect left an obvious trail, calling it a "slow-pitch criminal investigation."
Deputies located Torneo's vehicle and attempted to apprehend Trevino in the early hours of Monday, 16 December 2025. He fled in the car, crashed into a ditch, and was arrested after a brief foot chase. Trevino subsequently confessed to the killing.
He told detectives he was angry about being evicted and broke into the house through a bathroom window early on Sunday, 15 December, hiding in a closet. When Torneo woke and confronted him, Trevino said he shoved the older man, fetched a butcher knife from the kitchen, and stabbed him repeatedly.
"He eviscerated him," Sheriff Judd said. Trevino then allegedly took a bottle of wine from a cooler in the bedroom and beat Torneo in the head with it until he was dead. The murder weapons were later recovered from a nearby creek.
A Kindness Met with Brutal Violence
Neighbours and officials painted a picture of Torneo as a generous man who had tried to help a young person in need. "Sometimes when you are nice to evil people, they kill you," Sheriff Judd said. "John thought he was helping a kid who was homeless."
Julian Trevino now faces 14 felony charges, including first-degree murder, robbery, and credit card fraud. He is being held without bond at the South County Jail, with an arraignment scheduled for 20 January 2026.
