Cesar Rosales was 19 when he died from a gunshot wound on September 21, 2022. He lived in Mulberry, Florida, where he had grown up after being born in Tampa on March 20, 2003. A 2021 graduate of Mulberry High School, he worked as a landscaper and is survived by his parents Mateo and Maria Rosales, siblings Ricardo and Jacqueline, and his fiancée Juanita Espinoza.

Authorities say Cesar was found at his Laurel Crest Drive residence and taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. An 18-year-old housemate, Andres Garcia Pineda, called 911 and told deputies he picked up a handgun from a couch to check whether it was loaded and accidentally pulled the trigger; the bullet passed through a glass door and struck Cesar on the porch. Detectives reported that other teens living in the home initially corroborated that account but later evidence suggested they tried to hide the gun and mislead investigators. Text messages indicated some teens cleaned the gun and hid it in a nearby field.

Pineda was charged with manslaughter and held on $100,000 bond. Four other teenagers faced charges of tampering with evidence and providing false information and were detained at the county juvenile assessment center. Did anyone in the Mulberry area know Cesar or have information about the night he was shot?