SARASOTA, Fla. — A Florida woman has been sentenced to life in prison two years after police said she shot a man to death during a fight on New Year's Day in Sarasota.
A jury convicted Latoya Johnson of second-degree murder and other charges on July 12, 2024, the State Attorney's Office for the 12th Judicial District said in a news release. She was reportedly sentenced on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
The shooting happened just before 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 1 at Patellini's Restaurant. Arriving officers said they found a man, Alain Sierra, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
As Sarasota locals celebrated the traditional New Year's Eve Pineapple Drop, police found and arrested Johnson immediately after she ran from the restaurant and attempted to hide her gun in a potted plant near a Whole Foods on Second Street, the attorney's office said.
According to a previous release from the Sarasota Police Department, surveillance video showed the shooting happened with a group of people at a table against the wall and the man who was shot sitting in the outside patio area with his family.
Investigators said one of the family members appeared to be intoxicated and walked inside the restaurant before getting sick on a person who was sitting with Johnson.
This caused a fight to break out between the two groups, and Johnson can reportedly be seen holding a gun in her right hand while kicking people on the ground, according to authorities. As the fight continued, Sierra hit Johnson on her head in an effort "to protect his family."
That's when police said Johnson turned to Sierra and shot him. The fight only lasted 37 seconds, according to police.
“The successful prosecution of this senseless murder was directly attributable to the quick response of Sarasota Police Department personnel in the immediate aftermath of Alain Sierra’s death," lead prosecutor and Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig stated in the release.
