Man Shot, Killed After Early New Year’s Day Fight Breaks Out At Sarasota Pizzeria: Police

SARASOTA, FL — A man defending a relative who vomited on a stranger was shot and killed at a Sarasota pizzeria in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, Sarasota police said in a news release.

The shooting happened after a fight broke out at Patellini’s Pizza, located at 1429 Main Street, just before 1:45 a.m., according to the probable cause affidavit.

Latoya Johnson, 37, of Sarasota was arrested and faces multiple charges, including murder, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, police said. She’s being held at Sarasota County Jail on a $1.1 million bond.

Officers working at the New Year’s Eve event on Main Street responded to Patellini’s after being told about the incident. When they arrived, they found a man, whose name is being withheld under Marsy’s Law, had been shot at the pizzeria. The victim was brought to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Video from the restaurant showed Johnson and several other people sitting at a table against the wall, while the victim and his family were seated at a table in the outside patio area.

In the video, one of the victim’s family members appeared to be intoxicated and tried not to get physically sick on the patio, police said. He walked inside and as he passed Johnson and her friends, he threw up on one of them.

A fight broke out between the two groups and Johnson is seen on video holding a black gun in her right hand as she kicked people on the ground, police said. The victim was also seen running towards the fight.

After the victim tried to defend his relative by hitting Johnson in the head, she turned and shot him, police said. Witnesses told officers they heard a single gunshot. The entire incident took 37 seconds.

After being given their descriptions from witnesses, officers found Johnson and several other people in front of 1415 2nd Street. As they approached the group, officers saw her hide a gun in a poinsettia planter nearby.

Johnson has a Florida criminal history that includes seven felony convictions, police said. In Sarasota County, she was sentenced to three years at a state prison for the charge of carrying a concealed firearm in June 2008.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Sarasota Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS (8477) or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.

Patellini’s Pizza closed on New Year’s Day because of the shooting and addressed the “tragic event” on its Facebook page. The restaurant said it would reopen Monday.

"Our hearts go out to the families of those affected. This was an event which in our 30+ years on Main Street celebrating NYE, we wouldn’t have imagined happening in the slightest and we hope that nothing like this ever happens again within our community,” the pizzeria wrote.