Teen in Satellite Beach crowbar attack pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder

Police say attack was retaliation for marijuana theft

VIERA, Fla. – Dylan Thomas, 18, the third suspect in a crowbar attack that left a Satellite Beach boy seriously injured, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Friday.

Thomas faced charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.

Earlier this year, Jessica Umberger and Rebecca Gotay, also accused in the incident, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery, a second-degree felony, after being charged with first-degree premeditated attempted murder. Sentencing in their cases has been set for April 15 and they face up to 15 years in prison.

The three teens were implicated in a February 2015 incident that left then 17-year-old Daniel Vukovich seriously injured. He was attacked with a crowbar in front of his house around dawn. Police say Gotay drove the other two to Vukovich's home in a Cadillac that belonged to Gotay.

Police say the crowbar attack on Vukovich was in retaliation for the theft of marijuana and smoking paraphernalia.

Gotay and Umberger were released on bond shortly after the attack, but Thomas has been in police custody since the incident.


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