‘A random act of violence’: Florida teen sentenced to life in prison for shooting girl leaving movie theater with friends

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (TCN) -- An 18-year-old has been sentenced to life in prison for murder and attempted robbery in connection with the March 2024 death of a 15-year-old girl. 

According to the State Attorney’s Office for the 20^th Judicial Circuit, Thomas Stein fatally shot Kayla Rincon-Miller on March 17, 2024. That night, Stein picked up his friend Christopher Horne Jr. in a car his mother had rented. He had a gun with him, and the two drove through parking lots at two different movie theaters looking for cars they could burglarize. Both boys were 16 years old at the time.

They encountered three girls leaving a movie and decided to rob them. According to the state attorney’s office, the victim was with two of her friends walking to get food after attending a movie, and Stein and his friend drove past the group, flashing their high beams. Rincon-Miller was shot in the chest and Stein, who was driving, fled the scene. Her friends attempted lifesaving measures while waiting for police, but Rincon-Miller was pronounced dead at the hospital. 

People reports that before she died, Rincon-Miller told authorities she did not know her shooter; her friends also stated that they did not know them. Lisa Greenberg of the Cape Coral Police Department called the shooting “a random act of violence.”

Court TV reports Stein has previous felony convictions for breaking into cars.

According to the state attorney’s office, Stein’s and Horne’s cases were transferred from juvenile court to adult court, allowing for adult sanctions in the case. A grand jury returned indictments for first-degree felony murder against both defendants. Horne testified against Stein and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

According to Court TV, Stein maintained at trial that he did not pull the trigger. He said, “I didn’t know that robbery was going to occur, but it was my reaction in fleeing that ultimately played a major role in assisting the perpetrators. I know that it wasn’t my intentions, but the truth is it doesn’t change the result. It doesn’t change the fact that there was a life taken and innocent people were forever traumatized because of that. That day I made a terrible decision. The decision to get behind the wheel was a total act of selfishness and something I regret and I’m ashamed of every day.”

On July 10, Stein was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree felony murder. He was also sentenced to 15 years for three counts of attempted robbery with a firearm; according to the state attorney’s office, the sentences will run consecutively. 

Court TV reports that Rincon-Miller’s friend Louann Dejaie, who was with her when she was shot, gave a victim impact statement. She said, “I feel like I’m trapped in a coma that I can’t wake up from. Like I’m suffocating, but somehow still expected to keep on living. Losing Kayla changed every part of my life.”

Before his sentencing, Stein asked the judge if he could hug his family members before leaving the courtroom. Court TV reports that the judge denied the request.

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