DeSantis Signs Death Warrant for Ricardo Gonzalez; December 1 Execution Would Be Florida's 21st of 2026

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant on October 30 for Ricardo Gonzalez, who was convicted of murdering a police officer during a bank robbery more than 30 years ago, the Palm Beach Post reported. Gonzalez, 56, was one of five men who robbed the Kislak National Bank in North Miami in 1992. Officer Steven Bauer, working an off-duty job at the bank, tried to stop the suspects and was shot and killed; the court determined Gonzalez fired the fatal bullet.

Barring successful appeals, Gonzalez will be the 21st person put to death in Florida in 2026, surpassing the state's record of 19 executions set in 2025. He is scheduled to die by lethal injection at noon on Tuesday, December 1, at Florida State Prison in Raiford. Florida's next two scheduled executions come sooner: Jesse Guardado, on November 5, and Thomas Overton, on November 19. So far this year, Florida has carried out 18 of the 32 executions in the United States, according to DeathPenaltyInfo.org, figures reported by the Post.

Gonzalez has been on Florida's death row for 32 years. DeSantis has said the accelerated pace of his death warrants is meant to bring justice to victims' families, many of whom had waited decades, the Post reported. The warrant comes 11 days after Florida executed William Reaves Jr. for the 1986 murder of Deputy Richard Raczkoski.