Two Guatemalan illegal immigrant brothers are facing murder charges after a young father was killed and two other men were injured in a shooting at a construction site in Florida.
The horrifying incident unfolded on March 4 in St Johns County.
Yovany Diego Lopez Cobo, 20, made derogatory comments about the wife of Joseph Manfredi, triggering a dispute and altercation, local media reports.
After Manfredi allegedly kicked Cobo, the Guatemalan pulled a gun and opened fire, investigators say.
St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies responding to 911 calls found Manfredi dead at the scene.
Two other victims suffering from gunshot wounds were rushed to local hospitals.
Cobo and his brother, 23-year-old Armando Manuel Lopez Cobo, fled before deputies arrived but were later arrested.
Yovany was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm.
Armando was charged with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder with a firearm.
🚨 St. Johns County, FL: In March, Yovany Diego Lopez Cobo (TR) was arrested for Murder in the shooting death of construction crew co-worker Joseph Manfredi (L).
Two others were injured in the shooting and Yovany was caught shortly after along with his brother, Armando Manuel… pic.twitter.com/wx49hjjlpr
— Illegal Alien Crimes (@ImmigrantCrimes) July 1, 2026
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged detainers against both brothers.
Armando and Yovany illegally crossed the southern border into California as alleged minors in 2016 and were subsequently released into the interior.
Armando was issued a final order of removal by a federal immigration judge in 2018 and Yovany was also ordered removed by another judge in 2025.
“These criminal illegal aliens from Guatemala both came to the United States illegally as minors and were released by the Obama Administration,” stated DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.
“Now Joseph Manfredi – a husband and a father – is dead because of these monsters who NEVER should have been in our country. ICE has lodged detainers for both of them with our Florida partners to ensure these illegal aliens are never again loose on American streets.”
Manfredi, who was just 27 at the time of his death, was survived by his young wife and two small children.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was known as a jack of all trades who was “always willing to lend a helping hand or take on any project that needed to be done,” according to his obituary.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the Manfredi family in this difficult time.
This article originally appeared on Border Hawk and is republished by The Noticer with permission.
Header image: Left, Joseph Manfredi (GoFundMe). Inset, Yovany Cobo. Right, Armando Cobo (St Johns Country Sheriff’s Office).
