Man sentenced to 25 years for killing brother outside a Lee County restaurant on New Year’s Day

A man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after taking a plea deal for killing his brother outside a Lee County restaurant.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Steve Iglesia Jr. accepted a plea deal for 25 years on the counts of second-degree murder and domestic violence battery.

Deputies responded to a shooting on Daniels Parkway on Jan. 1, 2025, where they found a dead man with gunshot wounds on the ground outside of the restaurant. The suspect was identified as Iglesia Jr. and he was arrested.

Gulf Coast News spoke to his father, Steve Iglesia Sr., who said his son, Christopher Iglesia, was the man shot and killed.

During the investigation, detectives said he was at the restaurant with friends and family when a verbal argument began between the two before turning physical and then deadly.