Burch
A second teenage murder suspect was arrested Wednesday after moving to Miami Gardens since the August shooting of a 12-year-old girl.
Jayden Tyler Burch, 15, was arrested Wednesday for his role in the murder of 12-year-old Mariah Smith.
According to Greg Burnsed, a Lake City Police Department spokesman, Burch lived in Lake City prior to the Aug. 24 shooting.
“He lived in Lake City up until this happened,” Burnsed said Wednesday. “I’m not sure when he moved, but in the last seven weeks anyway.”
Jatarious Rashad Fluellen II, 14, was arrested on Aug. 28 for Smith’s murder.
More arrests could be coming, Burnsed said.
“We expect to get everybody that’s involved no matter how minute their involvement was,” he said. “We expect them to be charged.”
Fluellen was charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder, while Burch has been charged with murder and one count of attempted murder.
Burnsed said he did not know why Fluellen was facing an additional count of attempted murder compared to Burch, noting the State Attorney’s Office has been heavily involved with the LCPD and Florida Department of Law Enforcement in investigating the case.
Burnsed added charges can be added or reduced by the State Attorney’s Office at any time.
According to an LCPD release, during the past seven weeks of investigating the shooting, investigators traveled to Miami to continue interviews based on information and evidence that they gathered.
Those interviews in South Florida led to developing probable cause for Burch’s arrest Wednesday.
With the investigation into the shooting ongoing, Burnsed said police won’t say what led to the shooting. He also said police are awaiting more evidence to come back to determine who was the shooter.
“I am extremely proud with the efforts put forth by investigators from the Lake City Police Department, State Attorney’s Office along with agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who have been working this case,” Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler said in a release. “These men and women have tirelessly worked this case.
“I would like to thank the community for its support and assistance in providing valuable information during this investigation. The tragic loss of Mariah has deeply impacted us all, and we continue to work diligently to identify and arrest all those involved in her murder.”
On Aug. 24, LCPD officers were dispatched just after 9 p.m. to a NW Long Street home in regards to a person having been shot.
When officers arrived they found that Mariah Smith, a 12-year-old, had been shot. First aid was rendered to the child by officers and Emergency Medical Services, but the child succumbed to her injuries. She was reportedly sitting on a couch in her home watching television, when the house was struck by a hail of bullets.
Anyone with additional information regarding the case is asked to contact LCPD investigator Sapp at 386-752-4343.