Juan Esparza gets life in prison for a Sarasota homicide in 2019

Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC

State Attorney’s Office 12th Judicial Circuit

State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced today that JUAN ESPARZA was convicted after a jury trial on the charges of 1st Degree Murder, Armed Burglary of a Dwelling, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Tampering with Evidence. The crimes were committed on 10/18/2019 and investigated by the Sarasota Police Department. The trial was held at the Sarasota County Courthouse in front of the Honorable Circuit Judge Thomas Krug from 4/11/22—4/19/22.

The defendant was sentenced immediately following the trial to

1. LIFE in prison on the 1st Degree Murder charge

2. LIFE in prison on the Armed Burglary of a Dwelling charge

3. 15 years in prison on the Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon

4. 5 years in prison on the Tampering with Evidence charge

The defendant, armed with a 9 mm Glock, took a taxi from Bradenton to Sarasota to confront Joel Sanchez over an ongoing Facebook dispute involving the defendant’s girlfriend. Before he left Bradenton, the defendant told his room-mate that he was going to Sarasota “to fix the problem.” Minutes before the defendant arrived in Sarasota, Sanchez walked next door to visit his neighbors.

The defendant entered Joel Sanchez’ home stealthily and recorded a video of himself taunting Sanchez and brandishing his firearm. He sent the video to his estranged girlfriend, the subject of the Facebook dispute. The defendant also sent a “selfie” to a friend in Mexico in which he posed on the victim’s couch holding the firearm in his hand.

The defendant then lay in wait inside the residence until Mr. Sanchez came home. Within the next 30 minutes, Esparza shot and killed Joel Sanchez with a single gunshot wound to the head. Video surveillance footage recovered by the Sarasota Police Department captured images of the defendant fleeing the crime scene and walking north on 301. At one point in the surveillance footage, the defendant removes the firearm from one pocket and puts it in another pocket.

At approximately 1:00 am the following morning, the defendant texted Joel Sanchez’ brother and told him that Joel Sanchez committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. When detectives and the medical examiner responded to the death scene, they found no firearm in the residence. Several days later, police found the murder weapon concealed in an outbuilding on the defendant’s Bradenton property.

DNA analysis revealed the defendant’s DNA on the trigger, gun grip and magazine of the Glock. There was no trace of the victim’s DNA on the firearm.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Karen Fraivillig and Kennedy Legler.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig commented:

“The family of Joel Sanchez has waited 2 ½ years for justice in this case. The elaborate lies told by the defendant, in which he tried to convince the Sanchez family that Joel committed suicide, made their suffering and grief almost unbearable. The juror’s verdict will ensure that a ruthless and violent man will spend the rest of his life removed from society and held accountable for these vicious crimes.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig in the Sarasota County office at 941-861-4400.

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