Man arrested in DeSoto County, accused of illegally hunting deer

DESOTO COUNTY, Fla. —

A man was arrested in DeSoto County over the weekend after being accused of illegally hunting deer.

>>Video above: Headlines for Feb. 10, 2026

According to the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office, Dominick Carillo, of Lakeland, was pulled over by deputies near Northwest Highway 72 and Northwest Pierce Street after running a stop sign.

Deputies found two freshly killed whitetail deer in the bed of Carillo's truck, which were partially covered with plywood. There was no evidence the deer had been hit by a vehicle, and deputies noticed gunshot wounds in the deer, DCSO said.

Deer hunting season ran from Nov. 22, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026, making the killing of the deer illegal. DCSO worked with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and determined that Carillo violated multiple state statutes.

FWC also stated that Carillo is a habitual offender with multiple prior hunting-related violations.

Carillo was arrested and faces charges for violating state statutes, including the illegal taking and possession of deer, using a rimfire cartridge to take deer, and taking deer outside of legal hunting hours.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.