Man kills former co-worker as they argue over beloved dog at 3 am, FL cops say
An evening of reminiscing turned deadly when two former co-workers started arguing about a beloved dog, according to Florida investigators.
It happened around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, in Weeki Wachee, and ended with one man fatally shot and the other charged with murder, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The suspect, 23-year-old Evan Michael Stanley, called 911 to report he shot Keval Mehta outside his home, the sheriff’s office said.
“Detectives learned that Stanley and Mehta had previously worked together and encountered each other earlier that evening at a bar in Spring Hill. According to Stanley, they left the bar around 2 a.m., and Mehta offered to drive him home after Stanley’s ride had departed,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Once at Stanley’s residence, the two men conversed for a time. ... An argument reportedly began regarding a dog Stanley had taken in during their previous employment. Stanley stated that Mehta requested to see the dog, but he refused. He told investigators that Mehta then began making verbal threats toward him and his family and implied he was armed.”
Stanley was armed, but went into his home to get “a rifle and a loaded magazine,” officials said. He then confronted the 40-year-old Mehta in the driveway, officials said.
“According to Stanley ... Mehta opened his vehicle’s trunk and reached inside, prompting Stanley to fire multiple rounds, believing Mehta was reaching for a weapon. However, no firearms belonging to Mehta were recovered,” the sheriff’s office said.
“During questioning, Stanley provided several conflicting statements regarding the sequence of events and circumstances surrounding the shooting.”
He has been charged with “second-degree murder with a firearm,” the sheriff’s office said.
Weeki Wachee is about a 55-mile drive northwest from downtown Tampa.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Man kills former co-worker as they argue over beloved dog at 3 am, FL cops say."