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On Monday, July 24, 2006, at approximately 3:13 p.m., deputies were dispatched to 4968 24th Street SW, Lehigh Acres, Florida. Upon arrival it was learned that a family member had come to the residence to check on the well being of a toddler. The child was located in its highchair in the open doorway of the home. Blood could be seen on the walls inside.

Deputies began a search in the home and discovered two bodies, the mother of the young child, 19 year old Whitney Mendez, and 49 year old Lorena Stone (Whitney's mother). The two had been brutally stabbed to death. Due to the nature of the crime, Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Technicians with the Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit responded to the scene to continue the investigation.

The estranged husband of Whitney Mendez, Juan Mendez, was interviewed along with family and friends of the victims. It was documented a prior history of violence had occurred between Juan and Whitney and an active injunction for protection existed preventing Juan from being at the residence. Meanwhile, two blood stained knives and other evidence were collected from the home and submitted to a private lab for DNA analysis. The results have linked Juan Mendez to the murders. The tests combined with other facts gathered during the investigation culminated in his arrest today.

Mendez was located this afternoon in the parking lot of the Florida Department of Children & Family Services in Fort Myers, as he arrived for a supervised visit with his son. He was taken into custody without incident, transported to the Lee County Jail and booked on the charges listed below. A mugshot of the suspect is available on the Sheriff's Office website, www.sheriffleefl.org under Arrest & Inmates / Search Lee County Arrests.

Arrest:

Juan Mendez Jr. of 4224 Michigan Link #1616, Fort Myers, Florida
2 counts, F.S. 784.02 First Degree Premeditated Murder, a capital felony

Media inquiries are directed to the Public Information Officer at (239) 477-1340.