SAN MARCO, Fla. – A 36-year-old man was arrested and accused of murder after a shooting near a San Marco park Sunday morning, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Luis Eduardo Roces is being charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting that happened following an argument with another man on River Road.
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According to Roces’ arrest report, witnesses said they heard arguing outside their homes sometime after 1 a.m., and a woman said she saw 30-year-old Austin Fitzgerald arguing with a person, who would later be identified as Roces, outside her window.
Another witness said she met Fitzgerald at his house and they drove to Dart Bar on King Street to meet another friend. The woman said she received several text messages and calls from Roces, which she ignored.
As the night went on, she learned that Roces was searching the Riverside area for her, according to the police report.
She said that she and the group left the bar but got separated. Roces approached her as she was walking alone and he told her to get in his car, according to the police report.
She then got in the car, and he took her back to his family’s house on River Road. She told investigators she texted Fitzgerald and asked him to pick her up from Roces’ house because she was afraid of him.
The home where it happened is registered under the Roces Trust. The same trust is also listed as the owner of the Roces’ mailing address in Neptune Beach. Roces “occasionally resided” at the River Road home, according to the report.
The police report said she went into a bathroom in the house and waited for Fitzgerald to pick her up, and Roces stayed in the bathroom with her.
The next thing she sees, according to the report, is Roces leaving the bathroom. Then he starts arguing with Fitzgerald once he arrived at the front door of the house.
The police report said she left through the front door while they were arguing and went to Fitzgerald’s car which was parked two doors down from Roces’ house.
As they were preparing to leave, Roces went over to the vehicle and another argument began as he and Fitzgerald were walking towards each other, the police report said.
Investigators said that at some point during that argument, a gun was pulled out and Fitzgerald was shot.
Officers said when they arrived at the scene, they found Fitzgerald and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department took him to the hospital where he later died.
A witness told police Roces “appeared strangely calm” after the shooting, and stayed at the scene. Investigators recovered a .38 caliber revolver at the scene.
Roces did speak to investigators, but that part of the narrative in the report is redacted. This raises the possibility he could claim self-defense or the Castle doctrine.
“What would have to happen is there has to be some type of a threat,” said Tom Hackney, a retired JSO director and longtime homicide supervisor. “And it seems the suspect did have some relation to the house where it occurred. So he has the right under Florida law to stand is ground depending on what’s going on.”
A friend of Roces told News4JAX: “Luis is very kind, very giving, very loving. He comes from an excellent family…We will fight to have his back because he is very loved in this community.”
He said detectives will review details with prosecutors from the State Attorney’s Office.
“These cases are never done until they hit court and a decision is made whether to prosecute or not,” he noted. “There are decisions made between arrests that have to be made and there may be detectives looking for more information.”
After interviewing several witnesses and reviewing all available evidence, JSO detectives arrested Roces Sunday afternoon and charged him with the murder of Fitzgerald. He’s being held at the Duval County jail without bond. It’s unclear who his attorney is. Roces has one prior arrest in Duval County for possession of drug paraphernalia in 2006. He pleaded no contest and adjudication was withheld.
JSO is asking people with information to contact them by calling 904-630-0500, by email at jsocrimetips@jacksheriff.org, or Crimestoppers at 866-845-TIPS.