(Marion County, FL) Wednesday afternoon, jurors delivered their verdict in the 2020 murder case of 44-year-old David Vega. After a brief deliberation, jurors found 49-year-old Stanley Summer Jr. guilty of Premeditated First-Degree Murder with a Firearm. Following the verdict, Judge McCourt sentenced Summer to Life in prison.
“Justice was served today in this case with the defendant serving life for taking the life of another,” said Walter Forgie, Chief Assistant State Attorney. “Our office is grateful to the jury for their service and to the law enforcement officers and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring this case to a just conclusion.”
On November 11, 2020, the Ocala Police Department (OPD) received a call for service in reference to a reported shooting at a residence off NW 16th Place in Ocala. Upon arrival, deputies located the victim, David Vega, lying in a pool of blood on the carport floor of the home. The victim appeared to have a gunshot wound to his head and was pronounced deceased on scene.
Officials on scene began speaking with a witness at the home who indicated she was in the restroom when she heard the “pop” noise before the defendant came walking through the hallway, advising “someone was shot outside.” The witness stated she then exited the home and observed the victim lying on the ground before calling 9-1-1.
While at the home, law enforcement deputies observed exterior security cameras that pointed towards the incident area. Investigators were able to pull up the Blink application on the witness’s phone to observe several short videos and audio clips depicting Summer walking past the camera in the carport before seeing Vega walking towards the carport. Officials were able to hear a verbal altercation between the two before Summer leaves the carport and enters the house. During the recordings, at no time did Vega exit the carport area or reappear.
On video, officers were able to see the witness exit the home and observe Vega on the carport before leaving to contact law enforcement. Summer, who had fled the scene, was arrested and later charged with the murder of Vega.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Amy Berndt and Toby Hunt. Thank you to OPD Det. M. Coughlin and Det. D. Collier for their diligent work in this case.
Published on 05/09/2025.