Nathan Dormeus {BSO}
By Kevin Deutsch
A teen has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder in the Nov. 22 killing of a Margate man, authorities said.
Nathan Dormeus, 17, of Northwest 51st Terrace in Margate, was allegedly trying to buy half an ounce of marijuana from the victim, Mateo Delgado, 21, when Delgado was fatally shot, according to court records.
Dormeus allegedly admitted to the drug deal but denied being the shooter, records show. He told detectives that a male with him during the drug deal did the shooting, detectives said in the documents.
Dormeus was charged with Delgado’s murder as well as with shooting into Delgado’s vehicle, the documents show.
Detectives said they used surveillance footage and a trail of digital clues left behind by Dormeus to help identify him, including text messages he exchanged with Delgado before his murder and identifying data linked to Dormeus’ CashApp and Google accounts.
Records indicate that two males, Dormeus and a person whose name is redacted from court records, were allegedly involved in the crimes.
No additional arrests have been announced in the case.
Dormeus, who detectives said arranged the drug deal, was being held without bond Wednesday at BSO’s Paul Rein Detention Facility, records show.
BSO’s investigation into the homicide began Nov. 22 around 7:31 p.m. when a caller reported that gunshots had been fired near the 7000 block of Northwest 79th Avenue at Bonaire at Woodmont condominiums in Tamarac.
At the scene, BSO deputies found Delgado suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies quickly established a perimeter to search for the shooter, and paramedics pronounced Delgado dead.
Dormeus’ arrest in the case was disclosed by BSO Captain Jemeriah Cooper, who described the bust while updating Tamarac city commissioners at their Dec. 11 workshop meeting.
Cooper, who leads BSO’s Tamarac District, said the homicide division and a SWAT team served a search warrant at a residence in Margate, resulting in a 17-year-old male’s arrest for murder. He said the homicide investigation was continuing.
BSO later told Tamarac Talk the arrested teen was Dormeus.
Dormeus told detectives he was a 12th grader at Ascend Academy Charter High School in Margate and was on track to graduate, records show.
Court documents do not indicate whether Dormeus has entered a plea.
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