ORLANDO, FL – The Office of the State Attorney (“the Office”) for the Ninth Judicial Circuit is aware of the recent arrest of Kaylan Vega by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office for murder. This matter remains an active and ongoing investigation.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family. It is tragic whenever someone takes the life of another. As a community, we look for answers as to how this act could have been prevented. There have been inquiries regarding a previous case involving Mr. Vega that was resolved by the Office earlier this year. In April, Mr. Vega was placed on probation for a term of 5 years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. At that time, Mr. Vega did not have a violent criminal history and the firearm in his possession was not used in the commission of, or in furtherance of, a crime.

Pursuant to Fla. Stat. 27.366, “It is the intent of the Legislature to establish zero tolerance of criminals who use, threaten to use, or avail themselves of firearms in order to commit crimes and thereby demonstrate their lack of value for human life. It is also the intent of the Legislature that prosecutors should appropriately exercise their discretion in those cases in which the offenders’ possession of the firearm is incidental to the commission of a crime and not used in furtherance of the crime, used in order to commit the crime, or used in preparation to commit the crime.”

Mr. Vega was neither arrested for, nor charged with, using a firearm in the commission of a crime. Based on those facts, Mr. Vega did not appear to present a danger to the community, and the minimum mandatory sentence was waived in alignment with the legislative intent outlined in Fla. Stat. 27.366.

What happened in this instance was a tragedy and the perpetrator will be held accountable in accordance with the law. We can end the culture of intimate partner abuse and violence by making sure survivors are supported and that all people are educated about healthy, safe relationships. For access to information about intimate partner violence, contact the Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 hotline at 1– 800-799-7233 for quality, compassionate, and nonjudgmental services.