West Boca Man, 26, Accused of Shooting His Brother in Dispute Over Car

Luiz Felipe Dos Reis (Photo: Boca Daily News)

A 26-year-old man from unincorporated Boca Raton is behind bars after allegedly shooting his brother in a dispute over a car while their mother and 15-year-old sibling were both in the same home.

Luiz Felipe Dos Reis, 26, was arrested at West Boca Medical Center, where he and his other family members transported his brother, Gabriel Dos Reis, after he was shot in the shoulder. Dos Reis’ address was redacted from a police report, as was Gabriel Dos Reis’ age. Luiz Felipe Dos Reis was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and is currently lodged in the Palm Beach County Jail.

According to a police report reviewed by Boca Daily News, police were called to the hospital’s emergency room Sept. 9 at about 6:45 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from the 15-year-old sibling. The teen told dispatchers that the entire family was heading to the emergency room with Gabriel Dos Reis, who had just been shot in the shoulder by the eldest brother. The youngest brother and their mother, Luciaelena Oliveira, 43, were both at home when the shooting occurred, but were unharmed. The eldest brother, who is the suspect in the case, returned home after the incident and allegedly ditched a firearm – later recovered by sheriff’s deputies – and helped take his brother to the hospital.

The police report said deputies learned during a fact-finding interview that Gabriel and Luiz Felipe were having “some sort of verbal disagreement over a vehicle” within the home which had spilled over from an altercation that turned physical at work earlier in the day. At some point during the argument, “it was learned Luiz Felipe produced a firearm and shot Gabriel,” the report said.

Daniel Dos Reis told police he was about to step out of his room to separate his two older brothers when he heard a loud “bang,” then discovered Gabriel bleeding. Luiz Felipe left the home after the incident, Daniel told police, but returned home with a handgun that he tossed beneath a couch before helping the sibling he is alleged to have shot moments earlier.

Olivera, the mother, said in a statement to police that the two brothers had gotten into a physical argument at work over payments on a car they co-owned, but calmed down and chose to take up the matter at home. After the discussion reignited, Luiz Felipe “retrieved a firearm from his waistband” and shot Gabriel “unprovoked,” according to the report.

“She said Luiz Felipe did not say anything during the car ride and is unsure why he shot him, other than suspecting it was a sort of ‘psychotic episode,'” the report states. “[Olivera] said she knew Luiz Felipe had a gun, but constantly asked him to get rid of it as she did not want a gun in their house. She confirmed Gabriel was not armed in any way and said there was nothing to indicate that Luiz Felipe was acting in self defense.”

A search warrant was issued for the residence, which turned up a black Glock 19 handgun containing an unknown amount of ammunition, along with an expended shell casing and a substance that is presumed to be blood.

Luiz Felipe Dos Reis, as of Friday morning, was lodged in the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. The condition of the victim was unknown, however he was listed in critical condition at the time of the court filing.