Michael Regalski of Citrus Hills sentenced to 65 years in attempted murder case

State Attorney's Office,
Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties

Inverness, Florida - At his sentencing hearing on September 19, 2024, 66 year-old Michael Regalski. of Citrus Hills, Florida, was sentenced to serve 65 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. On August 1, 2024, jurors found him guilty of three counts of attempted second degree murder with a firearm, one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle, and one count of tampering with physical evidence. He was sentenced to 25 years on the first charge of three counts, 20 years on the second charge, and 20 years on the third, with his sentences to be served consecutively.

Assistant State Attorneys Kaitlyn Mannis and Blake Shore prosecuted this case.

"Today's sentencing reaffirms the justice sought for the victims and their families involved in this case," said Bill Gladson, State Attorney with Florida's Fifth Judicial Circuit Court. "The defendant's dangerous actions in response to a minor annoyance led to a tragic and senseless act of violence that he will now have 65 years to reflect upon."

The charges are the result of an incident that occurred in April of 2023, in which Citrus County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call for service regarding a shooting that had occurred. When officials arrived on scene, they located an adult victim, along with two juvenile victims on an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV).

The victims told deputies that they were riding on the vehicle when they heard two loud noises and pulled over, initially thinking the vehicle was malfunctioning. While they were stopped, one of the juveniles felt pain in the lower abdominal area and reached down to find they were bleeding. First responders initiated medical care for the teen, who was airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

CCSO's Major Crimes Detective Roscoe Watts responded to the scene to investigate. During this time, he made contact with Regalski, whose home was just south of the location where the incident occurred. According to Regalski, he had seen the ATV with the three victims pass by his property while he was outside his garage, and that he had prior issues with the utility vehicles loudly passing by his property at all hours of the night.

Regalski admitted, that when he saw the vehicle pass by his property the last time, he fired his Glock 40-caliber handgun at the vehicle in an attempt to deter the riders from driving by his property. After he fired at the utility vehicle, Regalski told Detective Watts that he secured his firearm, then entered his residence to wash his clothes and shower, and after he showered, he viewed his home's video surveillance camera footage of the incident. He claimed nothing was captured on the surveillance footage, yet he erased the footage after viewing it.