A Florida man is facing a serious felony charge. He shot and killed his neighbor last spring. He told police he thought he was shooting at a bear in the dark.

Ariel Gonzalez Rodriguez, 25, was charged with manslaughter with a gun. That charge can mean 5 to 99 years or life in prison. He was 24 when the shooting happened. He was charged months later.

The shooting took place at night between March 26 and March 27. It happened in Naples, Florida. That is in Collier County. Rodriguez and his neighbor lived next to each other. His neighbor was Jason Sheffield.

Rodriguez's wife is Katherin Hidalgo. She told police she woke up around midnight. She heard a loud noise near their chicken coop. She thought a wild animal might be after their farm animals. She woke her husband up to check.

Rodriguez went outside first with a small rifle. He fired warning shots into the dark. He came back inside. He told his wife he thought it might be a bear. Then he grabbed a bigger gun. He went back out to look again.

He later told police he heard something moving closer. He said he got scared it would attack him. He fired one shot toward his neighbor's yard.

His wife told police she heard at least two shots that night. Rodriguez did not go check what he shot. He told her he was scared he had hurt the bear. He feared it might attack him if he got close. He said he would check again in the morning.

The next morning, Rodriguez searched his own yard first. He found nothing. Then he walked over to his neighbor's land. He found Sheffield lying face down in tall grass. This was behind the chicken coop. Sheffield had blood on his body.

Rodriguez called 911 at 8:21 a.m. He stayed on the phone until deputies got there. He told the dispatcher he had fired at a noise the night before. He said he thought it was a bear. He said he now believed he had shot his neighbor by mistake. When deputies got there, they handcuffed Rodriguez and his wife. They put the couple in separate patrol cars while they looked into it.

Deputies found spent bullet shells from both guns. The county medical examiner said Sheffield died from a gunshot wound to his back. They ruled his death a homicide.

Police said the two men were not enemies. The night before the shooting, Rodriguez and Sheffield grilled chicken together. They did it in Sheffield's backyard. Rodriguez told police he had no problem with his neighbor.

Sheffield's family said he was a loving father. He had four kids: sons Ashton and Grayson and daughters Carter and Hazel. His obituary said he had a gift for lifting people up. He loved writing and singing songs for his kids.

Neighbors are still confused about why the arrest took so long. Bill Scott lives nearby. He remembers the chaos on March 27. "I heard some screaming and yelling," Scott said. Deputies did not arrest Rodriguez until late July. That is about four months after the shooting. "You're not supposed to be firing off a weapon at something you can't see," Scott said. "And four months is a long time to be arrested for something like that."

A judge ordered Rodriguez held without bond. The judge said Rodriguez showed a "reckless disregard of human life." He fired a strong rifle near homes without knowing what he was shooting at. The judge also told Rodriguez to give up every gun he owns.

Rodriguez has a lawyer named Evan Pfeifer. Pfeifer said his client has not been found guilty of anything. "A man lost his life, and his family is living through something no family should have to," Pfeifer said in a statement. "No decision has been made by a jury or judge as to my client's guilt. My client is presumed innocent, and that presumption applies today exactly as it did yesterday."

Bears do live in parts of Florida, wildlife experts say. But police say Rodriguez fired a gun toward a home in the dark. He did not check what was making the noise. He did not check what was behind it either.

The case is still open in Collier County court. Rodriguez must go back to court next month. Many rural families in South Texas also deal with hogs, coyotes, and other animals at night. This case is a hard reminder. Firing a gun at something you cannot see can turn deadly fast. It can happen even between longtime neighbors and friends.