JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 23-year-old man opened fire at a gas station early Sunday in Brentwood, killing a woman and injuring a man, because he was angry that their SUV had blocked him in, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
Lorenzo Alston is charged with second-degree murder, attempted murder, shooting into an occupied car and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the shooting death of 25-year-old Jessica Daniel.
Daniel was a passenger in the SUV that blocked in Alston at the Shell station on North Main Street near the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway, Lt. Steve Gallaher said.
He said surveillance video and witnesses indicated that Alston was parked at a pump in a white Kia Soul when the SUV in which Daniel was riding pulled into the station, parking at the front of the pumps and blocking in Alston.
Gallaher said Daniel went inside to purchase items, and while she was in the convenience store, Alston got out of his vehicle and exchanged words with the driver of the SUV, telling him to move. By then, other vehicles had pulled in, blocking in the SUV, and the driver could not move, Gallaher said.
Daniel returned to the SUV without knowing about the confrontation and got back into the passenger side, Gallaher said.
In the surveillance video, Alston can be seen getting out of his vehicle armed with a rifle, walking around the back of the SUV, looking at the victims' vehicle and then opening fire.
Daniel was shot in the head and died at the scene. The driver was shot in the leg, Gallaher said.
After police released images from the surveillance video, a tip called in to Crime Stoppers led police to identify Alston as a possible suspect.
"It was a tip that said the suspect was Lorenzo Austin. A search revealed it was Lorenzo Alston, a 23-year-old black male," Gallaher said.
Investigators learned that Alston is wearing an ankle monitoring device while he is on pretrial release for a previous domestic-related crime, and they checked the tracker on the device, which showed that he was at the gas station during the shooting. Gallaher said that although the surveillance video is grainy, an ankle monitor can be seen on the shooter.
Armed with that evidence, an arrest warrant was issued for Alston, who was taken into custody Wednesday night, Gallaher said.
“This was a perfect example of the process working and how quick it works when people call in," Gallaher said. "There is at least one other individual that is seen on video in the suspect vehicle that we haven’t made contact with and haven’t identified yet to find out what they heard and what they saw that night."
Wyllie Hodges, the executive director of First Coast Crime Stoppers, said the organization receives about 400 calls a month with tips. Many times, he said, it is little bits of information that create a larger picture, but in this case, it was different.
"We wish we could do them all this way, but unfortunately, that's not the case. But yes, it was solved quick and we are very proud to be a part of that information that led to the arrest," Hodges said.
Less than a week after Daniel's death, her friends and family have some closure.
"Any time you can help put someone's minds to rest, it doesn't bring the victims back to life, but they can start moving on," Hodges said.
Sam Patel, who knew Daniel for years, said he's worked at the station for nearly two decades and has seen a lot of crime in the area, but the latest incident hit him personally.
“Everybody’s sad around here. Everybody knows her. We’re sorry. I wish I could have done something," Patel said.
Patel said spoke with Daniel inside the store seconds before she walked out to get into the SUV.
“I was right here, doing the garbage, and she talked to me and said, 'How you doing, Sam?'” he said. “It just happened in a split second. It wasn’t meant for her. She just walked out right into it.”
Alston has a lengthy criminal history, including a May arrest for domestic battery, criminal mischief and shooting into a dwelling that left him wearing the ankle monitor. According to the arrest report, he fired into the home of his girlfriend after an argument. The domestic battery charge was later dropped.
Alston also has previous drug and gun arrests, traffic offenses and resisting police charges dating back to 2011. He was also charged twice with leaving the scene of an accident and was charged three times with driving without a valid license.
He's expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
Anyone with any information about the identity of the second man in Alston's vehicle is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.