OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – On Wednesday (May 29), an Osceola County grand jury formally indicted Maximo Mercado, 41, and Liam Nicholson, 29, for First Degree Murder (with a Firearm) for fatally shooting a man at a birthday party.

On January 21, 2024, the suspects attended a birthday party at a home in Osceola County. As they were leaving, a physical altercation occurred involving Steven Perez, 31. Perez was shot and killed.

The State presented sufficient evidence to a grand jury to secure First Degree Murder (with a Firearm) indictments against Mercado and Nicholson. The indictments remained sealed until law enforcement served the defendants with arrest warrants and took them into custody.

Please check the Osceola County Clerk of Court’s website for the latest updates on court hearings.

Currently, we are unable to provide additional information to protect the integrity of the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.