Plea Hearing Scheduled in 2024 River Club Home Invasion Case
A plea hearing has been scheduled for May 28 in the case involving one of the suspects accused in a deadly 2024 home invasion in the River Club community in Bradenton.
According to court records, Michel Soto-Mella faces charges of felony murder with a weapon, armed burglary, and armed burglary while wearing a mask. Prosecutors allege Soto-Mella and another suspect, Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo, broke into a home in the River Club neighborhood on Dec. 29, 2024.
Investigators said the homeowner, who was armed, fired multiple rounds at the intruders during the incident. Flores-Toledo was struck by gunfire and later died from his injuries, while Soto-Mella fled the scene.
Authorities later identified a third suspect as Aldo Jean Pierre Armijos-Casillo. He was arrested about a month after the incident in Colorado, where investigators believed he was traveling toward Mexico.
Court records show Soto-Mella initially entered a not guilty plea in January 2025. The upcoming plea hearing is scheduled to take place on May 28.
