Golden Gate Estates man arrested, accused of shooting, killing neighbor in March

A Golden Gate Estates man was arrested on Tuesday after being accused of shooting and killing his neighbor in March. According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office incident report, on March 27, 2026, deputies responded to a home on 8th Avenue Southeast in Golden Gate Estates in reference to a man calling 911, reporting that his neighbor was dead and that he may have shot him. Deputies arrived on the scene and made contact with Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez, who was 24 at the time, CCSO said. Rodriguez was sitting on the ground, was ordered to lie down, and was placed in handcuffs and detained. Rodriguez directed deputies to where the body of a 24-year-old man was located. The body was found on the property, the report said. At the time, Rodriguez was not arrested. Questions swirled for months following the shooting, as neighbors reported feeling uneasy. "There were several. Several shots. My wife was even scared because one of those bullets could have come this way. It’s common out here in the Estates for people to build a mound in the back and shoot. But if a bullet goes the other way, it’s dangerous," an anonymous man said to Gulf Coast News in April. On July 28, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Rodriguez on the charge of manslaughter with a firearm. Deputies found Rodriguez driving on Golden Gate Boulevard, stopped his vehicle, and arrested him, according to a CCSO arrest report. Rodriguez, now 25, was transported to the Immokalee Jail Center. 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.