Kayla Rincon-Miller was a 15-year-old Black girl whose life was cut short during an attempted robbery in Cape Coral, Florida. On the night of March 17, 2024, Kayla and two friends left the Coralwood 10 movie theater and were walking to a nearby McDonald’s. Shortly before 10 p.m., a car pulled up behind them, blinding the girls with its headlights in what police later described as an ambush.
Several people jumped out of the vehicle and tried to rob the three girls.
During the confrontation, one of the assailants fired a gun, striking Kayla in the chest. The suspects then got back in their car and fled the scene. When police officers arrived within minutes, they found Kayla conscious and immediately began life-saving efforts, even applying a military-grade chest pack. Despite their work, Kayla died from her injuries after being rushed to a hospital. Her cousin later wrote that her passing left the family "devastated, mourning the loss of this beautiful soul."
The Cape Coral Police Department launched a homicide investigation that quickly led to arrests. On March 20, 2024, police arrested 16-year-old Thomas Roy Stein. A second suspect, 16-year-old Christopher Horne Jr., was arrested sometime later. A grand jury subsequently indicted both teenagers on charges of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted robbery with a firearm. The State Attorney's Office announced the two would be tried as adults and would face a maximum penalty of life in prison, as they were ineligible for the death penalty due to their age.
Christopher Horne Jr. later took a plea deal, agreeing to testify against his co-defendant. In exchange for his testimony, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. At Thomas Stein's trial, Horne told the jury that he and Stein had planned to rob people that night. He testified that he looked back during the attempted robbery and saw Stein shoot Kayla. Stein also took the stand in his own defense and denied being the shooter.
In May 2026, a jury found Thomas Stein guilty of first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery. Following the verdict, Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore stated that justice had been served for Kayla, though he acknowledged that her family would "forever carry the weight of that loss." A judge denied Stein’s motion for a new trial.
As of his sentencing in July 2026, the case is resolved. Thomas Stein was sentenced to life in prison with a possibility of review after 15 years for the murder, and up to an additional 45 years for the three counts of armed robbery.
