Two teenagers were held as suspects in the death of a mother, an innocent bystander and injuring four more people. The incident took place last week at a Pine Hills gas station in Polk County, Florida.
The two teenagers were arrested over the weekend, as confirmed by the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The suspects were identified as 16-year-old Jayvon Joachin and 17-year-old DeShawn Miller.
The two are also accused of stealing a Dodge Charger. Reports say that the Charger was left running outside a Winter Haven gas station last week. Five hours after the supposed stealing, they were seen driving west on Interstate 4.
Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Wood said that stop sticks were placed near Highway 557 and the car crashed into a ditch. The teens then drove in a stolen Nissan Murano to a gas station where the shooting took place, WFTV 9 reported.
The deceased victim was identified as 27-year-old Kendra Lewis. She was shot in the face while she was in a car with her five-year-old daughter. She was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and was placed on life support. She died after the life support was removed days later.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said that Lewis was not the intended target but was caught in the crossfire. Fox 35 reported that the gun that was used to shoot Lewis was a stolen weapon from a Hillsborough County gun store.
The family of Lewis held a memorial for her on the night that she died and her funeral will be this Saturday. The family of Lewis will be taking care of the two small children she left behind. It is unclear if the five-year-old daughter who was with her in the car is her eldest or the youngest. No additional information was also released regarding the father of Lewis' children.
Joachin also had in his possession three window punches and a handgun from Miller. He also allegedly confessed to the crime and stealing the Charger from Winter Haven. Miller's criminal history is extensive as he has had 20 felony charges and 11 misdemeanor charges. He also suffered from one felony conviction. As for Joachin, he has had seven felony charges and two misdemeanor charges.
The two teens remain at the Juvenile Assessment Center in Bartow. They have been charged with homicide, grand theft and other related charges.
