LCSO: Lehigh husband kills wife, newlywed neighbor

A Lehigh Acres newlywed and expectant father was shot and killed by his neighbor as he tried to mediate an argument between his neighbor and his neighbor's wife according to witnesses. The neighbor's wife also was shot to death.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office arrested Placido Moreno-Torres, 47, accused of  the double homicide.

Witnesses told investigators that they heard Placido Moreno-Torres and his wife Amparo Moreno, 44, arguing outside their 3511 9th St. West home when then they heard gun shots.

Ricardo Vaca, 20, a neighbor of the Morenos who was married May 29 and described by relatives as a "great son," heard the arguing and went to the Moreno’s driveway to intercede, according to the sheriff's report

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The sheriff's report said that his concern appears to be his only involvement.

Placido Moreno-Torres shot and killed both his wife and Vaca and then fled on foot, according to the sheriff's report. Both victims died at the scene.

Witnesses quickly identified Placido Moreno-Torres as the shooter.

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Placido Moreno-Torres was eventually found and arrested. He was booked into Lee County Jail for two counts of homicide and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is scheduled for arraignment on July 18.

A cousin of Vaca said that the 20-year-old was a nice person.

"He was the greatest person and my dearest cousin," Nestor Martinez Vaca said.

A Facebook page for Ricardo Vaca said that he graduated from Lehigh High School in 2015 and just got married on May 29. A photo of a sonogram on the page indicated the newlywed Vacas were expecting a baby,

Nestor Martinez Vaca said that his cousin and his new wife Alma had a baby on the way.

"She's going to be a girl, they were happily married and he was an amazing person, always happy and trying to make people smile, funny, a good student and an amazing son," he said. "We as a family are devastated."

The incident originated at the Moreno-Torres home in the 3500 block of 9th street west at 9:25 p.m., according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.

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