Michael Samuel Menkes, 78, was a resident of Ocala, Florida, where he rented a room in a house in the downtown area. He shared the home with his landlord and another roommate, a living situation that police would later describe as dysfunctional. The events that led to his death on an autumn evening began with a dispute so trivial it was almost unbelievable: an argument over eaten ice cream.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 28, 2026, officers from the Ocala Police Department were called to the residence in the 1000 block of Southeast 8th Street. Mr. Menkes, his 69-year-old roommate Charles Etheze, and their landlord, 69-year-old Mark Robinson, were engaged in a verbal altercation. Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken later noted the absurdity of the situation, stating, “In the end, I have a very young officer trying to calm three 60- to 70-year-old men down over ice cream.” The officers believed they had de-escalated the conflict, and peace appeared to be restored.
Before the police left, Mr. Menkes and Mr. Etheze decided to go for a walk, a part of their normal routine.
While they were gone, Robinson, who had reportedly consumed a bottle and a half of white wine, retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun. He later told detectives he "felt like there was going to be trouble" when his roommates returned. Just over an hour after the initial police visit, Mr. Menkes and Mr. Etheze came back to the house. According to Robinson’s account to police, the men made a comment about being the “ice cream bandits,” and the argument reignited.
Robinson claimed he felt threatened, alleging that the two men rushed at him while he was on the couch with the shotgun beside him. He told investigators that Mr. Etheze was holding a knife as he approached. Robinson said he picked up the shotgun and fired at Mr. Etheze. As Mr. Etheze retreated into a hallway, Robinson admitted to following him and shooting him a second time. Mr. Etheze died inside the house.
During the chaos, Mr. Menkes tried to escape. He ran out the front door and into the yard. As he was fleeing, Robinson turned the shotgun on him, firing a round that struck the 78-year-old man in the back. When the first officers arrived back at the scene in response to 911 calls about gunfire, they found Robinson outside. He immediately surrendered, telling them he had shot both of his roommates. Officers found Mr. Menkes unresponsive in the front yard and began lifesaving measures. He was rushed to a local hospital in trauma-alert condition but succumbed to his injuries.
The Ocala Police Department handled the investigation. Detectives arrested Mark Robinson, who co-owned the home, and charged him with one count of second-degree murder for the death of Michael Menkes. Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken stated that the evidence showed Mr. Menkes was attempting to flee when he was shot. Robinson was booked into the Marion County Jail without bond.
Police were still investigating Robinson's self-defense claim regarding the shooting of Charles Etheze. "We’re looking at the self-defense notion that he’s put forward, but we’ve got a lot more work to do in examining the evidence and more interviews to do before we dive into that,” Chief Balken said at a news conference. He noted that additional charges were possible as the investigation continued. The case highlighted a tragic escalation of a minor domestic dispute into a double homicide. As of October 2026, the case against Mark Robinson was proceeding through the justice system.
