Stolen Xbox blamed as motive for mass murder

Six dead, four charged

The console wars took a horrible turn last week after a missing Xbox was blamed as the motive for a mass murder in Florida.

Four men were charged with first-degree murder after police in Deltona, Florida found the bodies of six people - two women and four men - who were apparently beaten to death with baseball bats. Attempting to explain the slaying, police have offered up no better cause than describing the murders as payback for missing clothes and an Xbox. One man allegedly recruited three others to exact revenge on those believed to be responsible for his stolen items.

Troy Victorino, 27, Robert Cannon, 18, Jerone Hunter, 18, and Michael Salas, 18, were charged.

"After questioning all four defendants, officials struggling to come up with a motive for the crime believe the killings were committed over the theft of some clothes and an Xbox game system owned by Victorino," the Volusia County Sheriff's office said in a statement. "Given the nature of the crime, investigators immediately zeroed in on the likelihood that the suspect or suspects knew their victims. Their hunch led them to Victorino, who recently had become embroiled in a squabble with one of the victims because he blamed her for the theft of his property."

"Victorino’s clothes and game system apparently were stolen while he was temporarily staying at a home on Providence Boulevard."

Some of the victims worked at a local Burger King restaurant. Co-workers at the Burger King called police on Friday morning after one of the victims failed to show up for work. One of the employees went to check on the missing worker and discovered the gruesome murder scene. The restaurant has temporarily been closed.

Sheriff Ben Johnson has called for the death penalty for the four alleged murderers.

The sheriff's office identified the victims as Michelle Ann Nathan, 19; Anthony Vega, 34; Roberto "Tito" Gonzalez, 28, of New York; Francisco Ayo Roman, 30; and Jonathan Gleason, 18. The sixth victim has yet to be identified with authorities saying her face was unrecognizable after the beating. ®

Related link

Local coverage

Related stories

Victim not killer owned 'murder manual' game
Retailers bans Manhunt after murder link claim
Nigeria - the land where phone numbers can kill
Kidnap-wary Mexicans get chipped
LA plans cybercafe teen curfew
Brit faces Oz extradition over PC store murder
Morrissey detained in LAX terror swoop

Biting the hand that feeds IT © 1998–2019