A father is heartbroken and confused after his son is charged with killing his other son in the parking lot of a Fort Myers restaurant on New Year's Day.
Steve Iglesia only spoke with NBC2 after his son, Steve Iglesia Jr., appeared before a judge on Friday morning.
"I definitely had good boys. They loved each other. They were best friends, and I am just very flabbergasted at what's going on," Iglesia said.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to Casa Blanca Modern Mexican Tequila Bar on Marketplace Road near Daniels Parkway and I-75 about a shooting at 8 p.m. When deputies arrived, they found Christopher Iglesia dead with gunshot wounds. The suspect, Steve Iglesia Jr., 25, was already on his knees with his hands behind his head.
"I know my boy wasn't thinking right," his father said. "I wish I did know what happened. I wish I could have been there to stop it."
The father says Chris and Steve Jr. were very close and loved each other deeply. Steve was in the military and recently told his dad he was struggling.
“We had a phone call about 2 weeks ago, and he was like, 'Dad, I’m really suffering with my PTSD. It’s really messing with me. Having a lot of thoughts, and I need to see a doctor, I think, go back to the VA.' I told him he should do that," Iglesia said.
Iglesia said he has not spoken to Steve since this happened, but he has this message for him: "I know you didn't mean it, young man. All I can say is I hope God can forgive you. I will always love you both. I know it was a mistake and you didn't mean it. May God be with you."
Steve Iglesia Jr. faces charges of second-degree murder and domestic violence battery. He will be back in court Monday at 8:45 p.m., hoping a judge will let him hire a private attorney.