Drug suspect justified in shooting death, Sarasota investigators say

The shooting death of a man burglarizing a Sarasota home in September was justified, but the home’s occupants are facing numerous felonies after drugs were found in the dwelling, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Robert Setti, 29, acted in self-defense when he killed James S. Sasser while Sasser was burglarizing a home Sept. 13 at 1867 Rita St., the sheriff’s office said.

Setti and Monica Esparza, 19, however, are being charged with six counts each of possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine, marijuana and paraphernalia. Kathryn Vesh, 31, was charged with possession of meth and possession of paraphernalia. All three turned themselves in Monday morning.

In a news release issued Tuesday, the sheriff’s office said its investigation revealed that when Sasser forced his way through the front door of Setti’s home, Setti armed himself with a shotgun and fired four rounds. Detectives confirmed Setti shot Sasser in self-defense based on evidence recovered from the scene.

During the investigation of the burglary and subsequent death, detectives obtained a search warrant for Setti’s home. Detectives discovered more than 120 grams of ketamine, 11 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of meth, 10 grams of marijuana and nearly seven grams of MDMA.

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 8:59 PM with the headline "Drug suspect justified in shooting death, Sarasota investigators say."