Suspects in Trindade case sentenced to juvenile facility

Local teenagers Jesse Sutherland and Simeon Hall were sentenced to time in a juvenile facility by a judge on Friday – a little over two months after they were found guilty of manslaughter and battery in the case surrounding the death of 15-year-old Winter Park High School student Roger Trindade.

Neither suspect will face time in adult prison, but will instead be placed in a juvenile facility with more details to be determined at a hearing scheduled for July 16. 

The sentencing comes more than a year and half after a violent altercation in Winter Park’s Central Park that took the life of Trindade. Reports and testimonies indicate that Trindade was in the Park Avenue area with a friend the night of Oct. 15, 2016. The Winter Park High School student was sitting on a half wall when another juvenile – who he didn’t know – sprayed him with a foul-smelling spray as a joke.

Trindade and his friend reportedly pursued that juvenile to find out what they’d just been sprayed with. Suspects Jesse Sutherland, Simeon Hall and a third juvenile confronted Trindade and his friend in Central Park shortly after, and a punch was thrown that struck Trindade and knocked him to the ground.

Roger was later found brain dead in the park. He was put on life support but taken off it just days later.

Friday’s sentencing left the parents of Trindade with an empty feeling. Rodrigo Trindade, Roger’s father, said that justice wasn’t served – and that the suspects were suddenly portrayed as “victims” defending themselves.

“It doesn’t make any sense what happened today,” Rodrigo said.

“This was a coward’s attack. My son was half their size. They attacked him as a gang. … They were described now as poor little kids that didn’t know exactly what they were doing. … This (sentence) sends the message that if you’re a juvenile, you can murder and you’re going to get away.”