The Polk County Sheriff's Office released new details regarding the murder of 15-year-old Giovanni "Gio" Diaz near Lake Wales on March 19.

  • Judd: suspect was jealous of Diaz's relationship with a girl
  • Suspect claimed self-defense during 911 call
  • Judd wants suspect charged as an adult

Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said the 16-year-old suspect accused of beating Diaz to death with a metal bat was jealous over a relationship he believed Diaz had with a girl he liked. According to Judd, the suspect convinced Diaz to meet him in a wooded area so they could talk and smoke marijuana.

“And while they are talking Geo talks again about having relations with this girl," said Judd.

That's when Judd said the suspect struck Diaz in the face nine times with the bat.

The sheriff's office released a 911 call it said was made by the suspect after the attack. In one part of the call the suspect can be heard claiming self defense.

"He tried to attack me and then me and him got into a fight, but I had the baseball bat," the caller said.

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“Man, I couldn’t imagine someone doing that," said resident Clayton Hale, who lives next to the crime scene, after hearing details of the beating. "I couldn’t even do an animal that way."

Hale said he could tell the suspect had been the ring leader of young people who played near the crime scene "because he was the one using foul language, cussing and throwing trash."

It was a tough day at Frostproof Middle-Senior High School, where Diaz was a student. He was known for being very smart and a well behaved student.

"They’re not doing so well," said student Denora Perez of fellow students at the school. "Like, they are all sad, and I guess they don’t believe it’s real.”

Judd said he would like to see the suspect charged as an adult. That decision, however, belongs to the state attorney's office, which has not make a decision on the case yet.