13-05-2025
5 arrested for murder after man robbed, killed at hotel: HCSO
The Brief
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office says five suspects have been arrested for the murder of a 21-year-old man.
Deputies say the suspects robbed and shot Elijah Daley on May 8 at the Ramada Inn off U.S. 27 in Lake Placid.
The suspects face first-degree murder charges.
LAKE PLACID, Fla. - Five people face murder charges after Highlands County deputies say the group violently robbed a 21-year-old man in a hotel room, leaving him shot to death.
The backstory
The sheriff's office says the shooting happened last Thursday, May 8, at the Ramada Inn off U.S. 27 in Lake Placid.
According to HCSO, deputies found the body of Elijah Daley in a room at the hotel.
Deputies say three people who initially claimed to be witnesses told investigators that they were in the room with Daley when a masked man forced his way in and shot the victim three times during a struggle.
Detectives say it became clear within hours that those three people – J'Mari Mitchell, 18, La'niyah Mcleod, 19, and Yoshabelle Edouard, 19 – had been involved in setting up the robbery that led to the shooting.
The sheriff's office says surveillance video helped identify the suspected shooter as Latarius Johnson, 26, who was arrested on Friday night in Sebring.
Jyer'Markis Jenkins, 20, is accused of driving Johnson to and from the scene, with deputies saying he was arrested after a high-speed pursuit.
READ: FSU shooting suspect Phoenix Ikner charged with first-degree murder
What's next
All five suspects face first-degree murder charges, while Johnson is also charged with armed robbery.
The sheriff's office says the suspects could face the death penalty if prosecutors decide to pursue capital punishment.
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The Source
This story was written with information from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
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