Published on Saturday, January 13, 2007
in the WESH News

Man Charged In Connection With Trooper's Death

LAKE PLACID, Fla. -- Police charged one man with the murder of a FHP Trooper who was shot and killed Friday afternoon.

According to police, Joshua Lee Altersberger, 19, was arrested at 5 a.m. Saturday after a massive search for him and the Toyota Camry he and another man were driving was found, WESH 2 News reported.

The other man in the vehicle, Quintin J. Kinder, 21, was also in the vehicle and led investigators to Altersberger, police said.

Kinder was charged with trespassing on a cultivated grove and is being held under $10,000 bond, according to police. Police said his cooperation is why he is facing a minor charge.

Police said Altersberger has been charged with first-degree murder.

The car was found in an orange grove in Sebring after dozens of witnesses were questioned, police said.

Sgt. Nicholas Sottile, 48, a 24-year veteran of the FHP, was conducting a traffic stop just north of Lake Placid in Highlands County.

According to the police reports, Kinder told investigators that Altersberger was swerving in and out of traffic and cut off a truck driver and that is why the trooper pulled him over.

Kinder also told police that Altersberger drove for two minutes before stopping the vehicle and that is when he confessed he planned to shoot the officer.

He told investigators he ran into the orange grove immediately when the car stopped because he knew Altersberger had a handgun and believed he would shoot the trooper.

The truck driver, who was cut off by Altersberger, stopped behind the trooper during the traffic stop and witnessed the shooting. He told investigators that Sottile approached the vehicle, told the driver to put his hands outside the car, leaned in the window and was shot by Altersberger in the neck.

According to police, the truck driver also told police that Sottile reached for his radio but was shot again by Altersberger 15 seconds after the initial shot.

Sottile died shortly after arriving at the Florida Hospital in Lake Placid.

Police said Altersberger then fled to a female friend's house and confessed to the shootings, and took her to the orange grove to clean up the vehicle and get rid of the gun and the car.

After returning home alone, she later called police, investigators said.

Gov. Charlie Crist released a statement to the trooper's family Saturday afternoon.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Sgt. Nick Sottile and his fellow Troopers. Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line everyday for the safety and security of our state and I speak for all Floridians in offering our deepest gratitude for their sacrifices," he said.

Funeral arrangements for Sottile are already set.

Viewing will be on Monday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Memorial United Methodist Church at 500 Kent Avenue in Lake Placid.

The funeral service will be on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Restoration Church of the Highlands located at 8475 Sparta Road in Sebring at the corner of State Road 66 and Sparta Road.