ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A man was indicted Tuesday on a charge of manslaughter with a firearm in the shooting death of another man last month in downtown St. Augustine.
In addition to the first-degree felony, a St. Johns County grand jury also indicted Luis Casado on a charge of carrying a concealed firearm in a prohibited establishment, a second-degree misdemeanor.
The indictment comes a month after Adam Amoia, 37, was shot and killed May 29 outside Dos Gatos, a bar on Hypolita Street.
His family told News4Jax that they feel the indictment is one step closer to justice.
“It’s still going to be a long process, but it is a sense of relief and gives a moment to breathe,” said Leonard Amoia, one of his four brothers. “We love him and we’re always going to fight for him, and we know one way or another, he’ll always live on through us.”
Adam Amoia was well-known in the restaurant industry in St. Augustine. He was described as being friends with everyone he met.
“He was everything to us,” said Dominic Amoia, one of his brothers. “He meant the world to my mom, my other brothers.”
Leonard Amoia said he wants Adam Amoia to be remembered as “a kind, loving, beautiful, hardworking, selfless, beacon of bright light.”
According to the initial incident report, Casado, 30, told officers he fired in self-defense after being punched.
The report states Casado, who had a swollen and bleeding lip, told police he was involved in a conversation with two men when Adam Amoia came up to him and punched him in the face three or four times. The report says Casado handed police his eyeglasses that had the arms bent and told them the gun was in the right front pocket of his pants -- which is where they found it. He was handcuffed and taken to police headquarters, and the report said he cooperated with officers.
When he learned Adam Amoia died, he said, “I’m sorry,” and “I didn’t want him to die,” according to the report.
The report shows he asked to call his parents and to get a lawyer, as well as requesting a cup of water to rinse the blood out of his mouth.
While the shooting took place outside, the State Attorney’s Office confirmed that Casado had a gun while inside Dos Gatos -- which is why he’s also charged with carrying a concealed weapon into a bar.
Casado was booked at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday into the St. Johns County jail and was released about two hours later on $52,500 bond, according to online jail records. News4Jax went to his listed address for comment after that, but no one answered the door. We also called his listed phone number but did not get a response.
Dos Gatos has added a sign on the window, saying concealed carry weapons aren’t allowed on the property. The security guard at the bar told News4Jax that after 9 p.m., they ask customers if they have weapon on them before they enter and scan them with a metal detector. Adam Amoia’s family said they hope this prevents more tragedies so no other family has to experience their heartbreak.
“We just hope that no one else has to go through something like this,” Leonard Amoia said.