Florida approaches record execution pace as DeSantis signs new death warrant for 1992 police officer murder

STARKE, Fla. - A death row inmate will die by lethal injection Dec. 1 for gunning down a North Miami Beach police officer during an armed bank robbery more than three decades ago.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant Friday for 56-year-old Ricardo Gonzalez, setting the stage for what could be the state's 21st execution of the year at Florida State Prison.

Deadly Bank Robbery Ambush

The backstory:

The fatal shooting unfolded Jan. 3, 1992, as North Miami Beach Police Officer Steven Bauer walked bank tellers toward drive-thru windows at Kislak National Bank.

Gonzalez and three codefendants ambushed the group and robbed a cash box from a drive-thru teller.

Fatal Gunshot to Chest

What we know:

Detectives stopped Gonzalez at his home a little over two weeks after the bank robbery.

He gave both unrecorded and recorded confessions to detectives.

Gonzalez claimed he aimed low and believed he only struck Bauer in the leg.

Investigators later confirmed Gonzalez's gun delivered the deadly bullet that pierced the officer's chest.

Court records show Gonzalez grabbed the fallen money tray off the ground immediately after shooting Bauer.

A sentencing order signed by Circuit Court Judge Robert Scola, Jr. on Sept. 19, 1998, states: "Later he received $1,500 as his share of the proceeds from the robbery/murder."

Gonzalez was convicted of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, armed robbery, aggravated assault, two counts of burglary and two counts of grand theft.

A neuropsychologist testified Gonzalez operated under extreme mental or emotional disturbance caused by marital struggles, shifting childhood living arrangements among relatives, language barriers, impulsive behavior and brain trauma from boxing.

Unscheduled Execution Details

What we don't know:

Authorities have not confirmed whether Gonzalez will exhaust remaining legal appeals to halt the scheduled lethal injection before next month.

Officials also have not announced death warrant dates for codefendants Leonardo Franqui and Pablo San Martin, who remain among 235 inmates housed on Florida's death row as of Monday.

Rising Execution Counts

By the numbers:

• 32: Total prisoners put to death across six states so far this year, with Texas trailing Florida at seven executions.
• 21: Projected total executions conducted by Florida if two upcoming lethal injections scheduled for Thursday and Nov. 19 proceed ahead of Gonzalez.
• 19: Executions carried out by the Florida Department of Corrections last year, setting the previous single-year high since the U.S. Supreme Court lifted its capital punishment ban in 1976.
• 6: States that have carried out death sentences this year, including Florida, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Arizona.

Lethal Injection Scheduled

What's next:

Gonzalez remains scheduled to be executed at Florida State Prison on Dec. 1.

Prior to his date, two other condemned inmates face execution dates set for Thursday and Nov. 19.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Florida court records, which detailed the 1992 robbery and murder convictions, as well as the Florida Department of Corrections and the Death Penalty Information Center.