Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez Charged with Manslaughter After Shooting Neighbor Mistaken for Bear

Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez, a 25‑year‑old resident of Naples, Florida, was charged on Tuesday with manslaughter with a firearm for the March 2023 killing of his neighbor Jason Sheffield. According to the arrest affidavit, Rodriguez’s wife, Katherin Hidalgo, heard a nighttime noise near their chicken coop and feared a wild animal, possibly a bear, was attacking livestock. Rodriguez first left the house with a small‑caliber rifle, returned to tell his wife the noise might be a bear, then retrieved a larger .30‑06 rifle. He fired a warning shot into the ground before shooting a round at waist level toward the adjacent property, believing the source was approaching. Sheffield was found the next morning lying face‑down on his own yard with multiple gunshot wounds. Rodriguez called 911, remained on the line with dispatchers, and later told investigators he had unintentionally shot his neighbor.

The charge was filed by Collier County authorities, and a warrant for Rodriguez’s arrest was issued by the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida on July 28. The case highlights the tragic consequences of mistaken‑identity shootings and has drawn local media attention to firearm safety and wildlife concerns in the region.