Crime
2 Arrested and Charged in Kidnapping and Murder of Missing Teenager Miranda Corsette
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Authorities have made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette.
On Saturday morning, March 9, Michelle Brandes, 37, the domestic partner of Steven Gress, 35, surrendered to police.
Brandes is now in custody and has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Corsette’s death.
Meanwhile, Gress, who was already in custody on unrelated charges, has also been formally charged with first-degree murder for his role in the brutal killing.
On March 6, a witness contacted authorities with critical information regarding a possible kidnapping and homicide involving Corsette, who had been reported missing on February 24 to the Gulfport Police Department.
Through the course of their investigation, detectives uncovered the following disturbing timeline:
- February 14 – Miranda Corsette met Steven Gress for the first time after being lured via a social media app. She returned home that night.
- February 15 – Corsette voluntarily returned to Gress’s home, a duplex located at 2708 27th Ave. N.
- February 20 – A dispute occurred inside the home, during which Corsette was brutally beaten.
- Sometime between February 20 and February 24 – Corsette was killed at the residence.
After the murder, investigators determined that Gress transported Corsette’s body to a residence at 12243 Mallory Drive in Largo.
Evidence at the Largo home suggests the victim was dismembered before being taken to Hillsborough County, where Gress disposed of her remains in a dumpster at 2893 14th Ave. S.E. in Ruskin.
Authorities have located the dumpster and are conducting an intensive search for Corsette’s remains.
Arrests and Charges
- Steven Gress, 35
- First-degree murder (Miranda Corsette)
- Kidnapping
- Prior arrests (March 5) for aggravated assault with a harpoon and drug possession
- Michelle Brandes, 37
- First-degree murder (turned herself in on March 9)
This remains an active and ongoing investigation, with additional charges likely as authorities continue gathering evidence.
The St. Petersburg Police Department extends gratitude to multiple local, state, and federal agencies assisting in this complex investigation, including:
- Gulfport Police Department
- Largo Police Department
- Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
- State and federal partners
Further updates will be provided as new details emerge.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.