A man charged with murdering a 3-year-old boy during an ambush shootout also accidentally killed another suspect during the incident, according to cops in Lakeland, Florida.
Kevarius Green, 30, is currently being held without bond at the Polk County Jail for charges including two counts of first-degree murder. Not only did he take the life of Jaquez “JD” Norton, 3, but also of Kemarius Wilson, 22, according to officers in a report from Fox Tampa affiliate WTVT.
Jaquez was reportedly riding in a Toyota RAV4 with his 3-month-old sister, their mother, and a male friend of the family. They had been leaving the Cambridge Grove apartment complex when a Dodge Challenger, allegedly driven by Demarius Wilson, blocked them in head-on.
Green and Demarius’ twin Kemarius Wilson allegedly stepped out of the Challenger and stood on either side of the RAV4. Green allegedly opened fire. Jaquez was shot four times, including once in the head.
The family’s male friend, who survived with a gunshot to the leg, managed to fire back, authorities reportedly said. He did not kill Kemarius Wilson, however. It was Green, according to cops.
“We had an ongoing gunbattle,” Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor reportedly said.
“He was like the king,” JD’s grandmother, Pilar Rivera, told WTVT. “We’d never had a boy before. When he came, we were so excited.”
Green turned himself in with his attorney on Tuesday, but cops were still looking for Demarius Wilson, seeking to arrest him for tampering with evidence.
Cops consider him armed and dangerous. He has ties to the areas of Lakeland, Plant City, and Orlando, they said.
If anyone knows their whereabouts, please contact the appropriate law enforcement agency for that jurisdiction or the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6900.
Persons who wish to remain anonymous can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers:
* Call 1-888-400 TIPS (8477)
* From a cell phone, dial **TIPS
* Visit the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip,”
* Or download the free “P3tips” app on a smartphone or tablet.
Tipsters will always remain anonymous when they send a tip through Crime Stoppers, and they are eligible for a cash reward of $5,000 if their information leads to an arrest.
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