A father accused of fatally shooting his 21-year-old son in Kendall back in November appeared in court Thursday for a hearing as he seeks to be released on bond.
David Contreras, 52, is facing a second-degree murder charge in the Nov. 3 killing of Eric Contreras.
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Thursday's court proceedings, known as an Arthur hearing, are similar to a small, expedient trial that could end up granting David Contreras bond.
During the hearing, Contreras was seen crying and breaking down while listening to the 911 call he made after shooting his son in the head.
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"What did I do?" Contreras said in the call. "I was fighting with my son...I lost it, he wouldn't stop."
Eric Contreras was described by his friends as a funny and loving college student, who often had fights with his parents.
The friends said the family had been in Orlando for a Disney trip but said because of how Eric was acting, he and his dad came back to Kendall, a fight escalated and turned deadly.
According to an arrest report, David Contreras shot his son multiple times "for unknown reasons" then called police and told them he'd shot his son.
When officers arrived to the scene near 10703 Southwest 84th Avenue, they found Eric Contreras suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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In the 911 calls from the incident, a man who identified himself as David Contreras' other son explained to a dispatcher that he wasn't at the home but had just received calls from his parents.
"I don't know, I think something happened to my brother, my dad's calling and he's freaking out," he told the dispatcher. "My mom called me saying that someone's dead, I'm not sure, I'm freaking out."
Police said it's not the first time David Contreras threatened to shoot his son. Last May, police said he shot at the ceiling, and on Halloween, just days before the fatal shooting, he pointed a gun at his son.
The father’s attorney said Eric struggled with his mental health, and that may have been a factor in the incident.
"This is just a very tragic situation. He is distraught," defense attorney Frank Quintero Jr., one of three lawyers representing David Contreras, told NBC6 over the phone after the incident. "The victim is the son of the defendant, and the victim has suffered from some severe emotional and mental conditions, and we're still trying to determine what happened, why it happened."
David Contreras' attorney entered a not guilty plea for him back in November at a formal arraignment, but he's been held without bond since his arrest.
Defense attorneys are hoping David Contreras will be allowed to go home while he awaits trial. Prosecutors want him to stay in jail.
The hearing was expected to continue in March.
