HAINES CITY, Fla — A man in Haines City was arrested after a shooting incident resulted in him shooting off his ring finger.
According to the Haines City Police Department (HCPD), Jervin Omar Mendieta Romero, 42, and his former domestic partner of 20 years were going through a separation.
Mendieta Romero had been sending threatening messages to her, and on Dec. 29, he told her that he would be coming to her house that evening.
Haines City Police said that Mendieta Romero knocked on the door around 5:45 p.m. that evening. When people inside the home refused to answer, he went to the back of the home and broke into it through a window.
Once Mendieta Romero got inside the home, he and the woman's new boyfriend allegedly got into an argument, and he shot the man multiple times.
While firing at the man, Mendieta Romero shot off his own ring finger, which caused him to stop shooting and run from the residence.
After the shooting, Polk County Sheriff's deputies and Haines City Police worked to set up a perimeter, and eventually, with the help of a K9 officer, they found him hiding in a tree about a mile away from the home.
The victim has serious injuries but is expected to recover, according to police. The woman in the home was not injured.
Mendieta Romero was arrested on multiple felonies, including attempted first-degree murder.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
