PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Investigators say that they've arrested a Charlotte County man after a deadly incident in a Port Charlotte home Thursday.
Sheriff Bill Prummell was visibly shaken at the press conference Friday announcing the arrest.
He says that a teenager was killed in a home while defending their younger sibling from a man who had broken into their home.
It started around 4pm Thursday in the area of Starlite Lane. Calls began coming in of a suspicious person in the area. At 4:28, 27-year-old Ryan Cole was found with a stab wound. He fled deputies but was caught about 15 minutes later.
Other calls came in about several burglaries in the area. Deputies arrived at one home to find a teenager and a young child. Forced entry had been made into the home, and the sheriff says a struggle ensued, and the teenager died from injuries.
The younger sibling was uninjured.
Cole is in custody, currently charged with Occupied Dwelling and Petit Theft at a different residence. Further investigation is underway.
Sheriff Prummell says Cole has a history of drug use and was known to deputies. He is currently on probation.
You can view his complete arrest history here.
He is believed to have acted alone.
