(Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madre mugshot)
ORLANDO | New evidence was submitted to police Feb. 25 after a gay man was killed outside SAVOY Orlando following a verbal and physical altercation.
Julien Emmanuel Cruz, 33, was killed early Feb. 22 in the 1900 block of North Orange Avenue, north of Lake Ivanhoe, according to the Orlando Police Department.
The suspect, Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr, 37, is being charged with second-degree murder with a firearm. Borja turned himself in to jail several hours after the incident.
A family member contacted Borja’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, to turn over the gun used, along with the defendant’s pants worn that night. The jeans are blood-stained.
The evidence was found by family after the police searched Borja’s house.
“When I talked to the family, they said to me, we have the gun and that’s troubling to begin with,” O’Mara told WESH 2. “It’s like I know they did a search of the house. They also misplaced or didn’t find his jeans ’cause he had taken off his jeans because they were blood-soaked, very relevant information, also the gun is a very significant piece of evidence. And he’s not hiding it, yes, this is the gun I used it because I had to. So the gun we wanted to get to them right away, but also the clothing, particularly the jeans, the blood we don’t know whose blood it is, but it’s going to be very telling from a forensic perspective.”
O’Mara also told the outlet that Borja got back into his car during the altercation and someone opened the door, which his attorney described as a forcible felony. O’Mara said it’s possible Borja was defending himself and the shooting may have been justified. He noted that the law allows one to respond with deadly force in such situations.
“It was my guy driving home at 2:30 in the morning down Orange Avenue and seemingly somebody walked in front of the car or did something that caused him to stop,” O’Mara said. “I don’t know yet who did what and then it turned into more of that when more people came out the club.”
Borja is being held at the Orange County Jail with no bond.
Cruz’s family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and the cost of repatriating Cruz to Pennsylvania. As of Feb. 26, $14,935 was raised, and the goal is $22K.
To donate, visit GoFundMe.com.
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