On March 23, 2023, my daughter in law contacted someone through Facebook Marketplace to purchase a bike for my son. They agreed that she would send a deposit to hold the bike until March 31st, when she and my son would go together to pick it up. That same night, after returning home, she and my son argued, and she considered going to her mother house for a few days. Since she lived outside of the state of Florida, she stayed home instead.

The next day, she messaged the seller to say she was no longer interested in the bike and asked for her deposit back. She never received a reply. Later that day, she tried calling the number she was given, but no one answered. On March 25, she told my son that the seller had ignored her attempts to communicate. On March 26, she used my son's phone to try again. A man answered, but when she identified herself and mentioned the deposit, he immediately hung up and blocked the number.

My son then asked her if she still had the address. They both agreed to go there to either ask for the deposit back or pay the rest of the money and pick up the bike. They loaded their three children into the car and drove to the address provided, but after circling for 15–20 minutes, they realized it was false. Just as they were about to leave, they saw someone riding the same bike.

My son honked and asked the man to stop. When he approached, my son calmly explained that his wife had sent money for that bike. The man became irritated and confrontational. With his wife and children in the car, my son—who always carried a firearm in his vehicle for protection—held the gun at his side, not to threaten, but to be prepared if anything escalated since the guy was getting aggressive.

The man rode off but quickly turned back, making a sudden movement toward his waistband and pulling at something black. In that split second, my son believed the man was reaching for a gun. Out of fear and instinct to protect his family, he fired a single shot—without aiming—just to scare him and prevent what he thought was about to happen. Tragically, that shot ended a life.

Later investigations revealed that the Facebook account was fake, or at least it wasn't owned by the guy; it was a man pretending to be a woman, and even changed the actual brand of the bike to attract more buyers. The deceased was discovered to have a history of violence, guns, and drugs, and his girlfriend admitted he had left home that day with a gun. My son did not imagine seeing something black at his waist.

Despite this, no gunshot-residue test was done on his hands or clothing, only on his wound, leaving crucial questions unanswered.

Yet, the State is charging my son with first-degree murder, as if this were planned; therefore, we are asking the state to lower his charge to STAND YOUR GROUND or at least INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, and understand that no one in their right mind would bring along his wife, two stepchildren, and newborn daughter if the intent was to commit murder. His actions were out of fear, in a moment of chaos, trying to protect the people he loved most.

We come before you with heavy hearts, asking for mercy and understanding in the case of my son, Wesley Manuel Vazquez Andino. We know that nothing we say can undo the pain and loss suffered by the family of the man who lost his life. We recognize that a life was taken, and for that, we are deeply sorry. But we also ask that you see the full truth of who my son is and what really happened that day.

On March 26, 2023, tragedy struck—not out of planning, not out of malice, not with the intention to harm. That day was never about violence. It was about a misunderstanding over money and an item he was trying to purchase. What happened was not premeditated; it was a moment that spiraled out of control, and the result was something no one wanted, expected, or imagined. He fired a shot without knowing that it would tragically take someone’s life. He did not leave his home with the thought of committing a crime. He left with his wife and his children in the car, simply living his life as he always did: a father, a stepfather, and a provider.

My son is not a man of the streets, not a man of trouble, not a man who looks for problems. He is a man who only knew two paths—home and work. A hardworking man, dedicated to his family, who never lived a reckless life. The system now wants to take him away forever, treating this tragedy as if it were intentional, as if he had planned to harm someone that day. But this was not murder—it was an accident, one that has broken not only one family, but two.

Today, we are suffering as much as anyone can imagine. His children, who cry and ask for their father, are the most innocent victims of all. He is the father of two little ones and a stepfather of three more, and his greatest joy has always been being present with them. But now, he faces losing everything. He hasn’t seen his youngest daughter in two years and eight months. He has never been able to carry her in his arms, never hugged her, never seen her take her first steps. These are moments he has already lost and will continue to lose if the system condemns him to spend his life behind bars.

We acknowledge that every action has consequences, and we are not asking to erase responsibility. What we are asking is for mercy—for the recognition that this was not an act of hatred or cruelty, but a tragic mistake that changed lives forever. If he is sentenced for first-degree murder, he will not only lose his freedom, but his children will lose their father, and the suffering will multiply across generations.

We ask the state, the court, and the family of the victim to see the human being behind this case. To see the man who never wanted to cause harm, the father who still longs to hug his daughter for the first time, the husband who has always walked with his family by his side, the man who was simply trying to live an honest life.

This tragedy has already created unbearable pain for two families. We are asking, with all humility, that you consider the truth of what happened and not take away his entire life for something that was never meant to happen. Please, we ask for compassion, for understanding, and for a chance at redemption.

With respect and sorrow,
His Family and Friends