Punta Gorda police have arrested and charged a man for murder. Sometime around 6 p.m. on Friday evening they were called out to Forest Home Village in the Toledo district where they found the body of 34 year old Barrington Cofius.
Investigations by police have since led to the arrest of 46-year-old Alejandro Ical. Ical's story to police is that sometime around 4:30 on that day he was returning home from his farm when he was encountered by Cofius with whom he had an argument. That argument turned deadly when Ical says Cofius tried to chop him with a machete, he claims he defended himself chopping Cofius to the head. But Ical says Cofius was not only armed with a machete, he also had a gun. Upon Cofius falling to the ground after the machete blow, Ical says he picked up the gun and shot Ical to the left arm. Ical then fled the scene only to fin out later that his victim had succumbed to his injuries.
Police are taking the story with a grain of salt since they have not been able to find the gun believed to be a.22 revolver. They have also been unable to determine who the gun belongs to. Nonetheless Ical has been charged with murder.
