Man arrested in deadly shooting near Ocala

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A 25-year-old man was arrested Monday in the deadly shooting of another man near Ocala, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

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Detectives said they arrested Jowarn Mitchell in connection with the murder of Quentin Samuel Jr.

They said that at about 5:30 p.m. on July 20, they were called to a shooting at a home on Southeast 41st Court near Southeast 66th Street.

Firefighter said they discovered Samuel’s body with multiple gunshot wounds at the home.

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Witnesses reported that after hearing gunfire, they saw a maroon pickup truck that they believed belonged to Mitchell’s father being driven away from the home.

Deputies said they quickly located Mitchell driving the vehicle and stopped it on Highway 314A.

Investigators said they interviewed Mitchell, who denied being anywhere near Quentin’s home.

They said he instead told them that he went to get food and have a tire fixed.

“When detectives asked specifically what locations he went to, he stated he received ‘crazy news’ and began driving around to ‘clear his head,’ but still claimed he did not go to Quentin’s house that day,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

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Detectives said they used investigative tools to determine that Mitchell was “untruthful about his whereabouts that day,” and that he was indeed in front of Quentin’s home around the time of the shooting.

Mitchell was booked into the Marion County Jail on a second-degree murder charge.

He is being held without bail.

See a map of the scene below:

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