Friend of armed man who sparked shooting at Orlando club speaks out

Kody Roach stole friend's gun, needed a 'wake-up call,' man says

ORLANDO, Fla. – Elliott Martin tells Local 6 Vixen Bar shooting suspect Kody Roach needed a wake-up call to change his life, and it's unfortunate someone had to die to wake him up.

[PICS: Woman killed in club shooting | Warning, content may be graphic: Audio: 911 call 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Orlando police say Roach was shot several times by Orlando police Officer Eduardo Sanguino early Monday morning.

Sanguino said Roach reached for his waistband instead of complying with his orders to get down on the ground.

Police were called to the Vixen Bar after several 911 calls indicated Roach had a gun at the club.

Martin says the gun was stolen from him, and he reported it stolen to the Orange County Sheriff's Office a day before the downtown shootout.

Martin describes Roach as a guy who liked to appear as "a thug."  He says Roach wanted people to think he sold drugs.

That's why he says he wasn't surprised when he found his gun and some money missing soon after Roach left his apartment.  That's also why he wasn't surprised to hear about the shootout downtown.

Martin's comments come as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement continues its investigation into the shooting, which killed 22-year-old Maria Godinez inside the bar.

Many have asked if the officer could face charges for killing her.

"Unless it was intentional, he probably wouldn't be charged," said Local 6 legal analyst Luis Calderon.

"The highest level offense you could charge in a situation like this would be manslaughter because it's clear this wasn't intentional," Calderon said. "The question is, was it done with reckless disregard?"

Calderon says a charge against Sanguino may ultimately not be up to police or even the Office of the State Attorney.

He says the issue could be presented to a grand jury.

Lt. Frank Nunez was shot in the leg and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Orlando police said. He was treated, released and is recovering at home. It's not clear who fired the shot that hit Nunez.

As standard procedure, the officers in the shooting, Sanguino and Officer Jeff Angel, were put on paid administrative leave.

Roach is still hospitalized, but will be booked into Orange County Jail on charges of possession of a firearm. He could face felony murder charges in the shooting, according to police.

Vixen Bar took to social media to address the shooting:

"Here at Vixen, in the name of all of our loyal patrons, friends and community, it is with the deepest of sympathy that we reach out to Maria Castillo family as they mourn her loss.
"To have an innocent life lost downtown threatens the very core of our downtown community's collective security. We are confident in the City of Orlando, OPD and the FDLE to investigate the issues accordingly and we will comment further as more information comes available.
"Even the strongest of communities have moments of weakness and it is within this moment that we ask our staff, patrons and community to recognize the frailty of life and the value of love in remembrance of Maria."

For information on how you can help Godinez's family with funeral costs, click here.


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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