Background: The Polo Park community in Davenport, Fla. (Google Maps). Inset: Julian Trevino (Polk County Sheriff's Office).
A retired nurse in Florida who opened his door to a 19-year-old was allegedly murdered by the teenager after he kicked him out of his home.
Julian Trevino, 19, was arrested on Monday and charged with a pile of felonies in connection with the homicide of 67-year-old John Torneo. During a press conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd provided details about what led up to Trevino's arrest and how law enforcement came upon the grisly scene at Torneo's home in Davenport, Florida.
According to Judd, a deputy responded to a call from one of Torneo's neighbors, who said he had not seen Torneo in a few days. When the deputy arrived, the neighbor said that Torneo had been letting Trevino live in his home since September but kicked him out last week.
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The neighbor told police that according to Torneo, Trevino had not been paying rent or helping out around the house. On Dec. 10, Torneo told Trevino to pack up and leave. The neighbor had a key to Torneo's home, and when the deputy arrived, she tracked down Torneo's vehicle as it traveled south. Judd said that the deputy incorrectly determined that Torneo was not home at the time.
The deputy cleared the call. After the neighbor went home, he continued to try to contact Torneo but had no luck. When he and a few more concerned neighbors went to Torneo's home and went inside, they found Torneo "dead, disemboweled, eviscerated on the floor."
After the sheriff's office began its investigation, it tracked down Torneo's credit card after Trevino allegedly used it at a Circle K store. Judd said Trevino then allegedly used one of Torneo's cards "at the pizza restaurant [where] he worked as a dishwasher." Judd made a crack at Trevino's expense, saying, "Helen Keller could have followed the leads this guy left. This is what we call a slow-pitch investigation."
The investigation continued as deputies tracked down Torneo's stolen car. At 4:42 a.m. on Monday, deputies saw Trevino get into Torneo's car, and they approached him to take him into custody. Trevino allegedly took off in the stolen car. He eventually crashed and allegedly attempted to escape on foot. Deputies caught up with him quickly and placed him under arrest.
Judd stated that while Trevino was in custody, he admitted to the alleged murder. According to Judd, Trevino told police, "I was really angry when he put me out of the house. And now I'm having to live in a shed by a friend's house. I didn't want to go away from my girlfriend."
Trevino allegedly told police that on Sunday, he broke into Torneo's house through a bathroom window and hid in a closet. When he thought Torneo had settled in, he allegedly stole Torneo's cash and credit cards. Torneo reportedly woke up and found Trevino in his house, then told him, "You're not supposed to be here." Trevino allegedly shoved Torneo onto his bed then went to the kitchen to get a knife. After allegedly stabbing Torneo, Trevino got a bottle of wine out of the cooler in Torneo's bedroom and "beat him in the head with it to make sure he was dead," authorities say.
Trevino allegedly told police that he took the knife and the bottle with him when he left Torneo's home and threw both alleged murder weapons in a creek. Both items were recovered.
Trevino was charged with 14 felonies and seven misdemeanors in connection with Torneo's death, including first-degree murder. He is being held at the South County Jail without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 20, 2026.
