{"id":59948,"date":"2025-12-16T16:44:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T21:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=59948"},"modified":"2025-12-16T16:44:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T21:44:49","slug":"67-year-old-man-stabbed-to-death-by-teenage-former-roommate-in-davenport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2025\/12\/16\/67-year-old-man-stabbed-to-death-by-teenage-former-roommate-in-davenport\/","title":{"rendered":"67-year-old man stabbed to death by teenage former roommate in Davenport"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A man was fatally stabbed by his former roommate in the Polo Park neighborhood in the Davenport area early Sunday morning, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The victim was identified as 67-year-old John Joseph Torneo, a local retired nurse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Torneo was found in his bathroom on Sunday afternoon by a friend. Detectives say there was a large amount of blood found in the bathroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The friend told detectives that he last saw Torneo on Thursday, Dec. 11, and hadn’t heard from him since then. He had a key to Torneo’s residence, so he went to check on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the victim’s friend, he had recently changed locks at Mr. Torneo’s home because a former roommate was no longer allowed to live there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PCSO arrested Torneo’s ex-roommate, 19-year-old Julian Andre Trevino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigation revealed that the suspect used the victim’s bank card at a nearby pizza restaurant and a convenience store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The victim’s vehicle was also missing from the property and was seen traveling on U.S. 27 south on Monday, after Torneo was found dead, PCSO said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputies followed the vehicle as it entered the Ridge neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the vehicle crashed in a ditch, Trevino fled on foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to deputies, Torneo’s bank card was found in Trevino’s possession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The suspect admitted to my detectives that he broke in through a window and was confronted by Mr. Torneo,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “The suspect grabbed a knife from the kitchen, then intentionally attacked and fatally cut Mr. Torneo. He was then hit multiple times over the head with a wine bottle. The suspect’s motive for the burglary was to steal money, and his actions resulted in Mr. Torneo suffering a very painful death.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the fatal attack, the suspect disposed of the knife and other items and stole the victim’s vehicle, bank card, and phone, Judd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trevino was booked into the Sheriff’s Processing Center and is facing over a dozen different charges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n