Third arrest made in St. Augustine murder case

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — UPDATE, 1/25/18, 6:40 p.m.: Gerald Lavon Evans,18, has been arrested in the shooting death of Kahlil Cooke.

Evans is the third person facing charges in the death of 20-year-old Kahlil Cooke. Deputies said Evans, Cooke and others tried to steal marijuana from two men they lured to Old Hickory Forrest Road using Snapchat.

One of the men lured shot and killed Cooke during the robbery.

The Sheriff’s Office arrested Cooke’s friends -- Evans, Dalton Faulkner, and juvenile Sarah Itani because they say Cooke died while his friends committed a crime.

The St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office says they know who the shooter is, but have not made any arrests

Evans is being held in the St. Johns County Jail on $350,000 bond. He is charged with second degree murder.

ORIGINAL STORY: A 17-year-old girl and 23-year-old man from Jacksonville are facing murder charges after a 20-year-old Jacksonville man was killed in St. Augustine.

St. Johns County deputies say Kahlil Cooke was shot in a vacant lot on Old Hickory Forest Road Saturday.

Deputies say someone took Cooke to Baptist South, where he died.

“This is a nice neighborhood. It’s a new development and no one would expect anything like that to go down in a place like this,” Austin Di’lda, a neighbor, said.

Deputies said Sunday that 17-year-old Sarah Itani and 23-year-old Dalton Faulkner, both from Jacksonville, are facing murder and robbery charges after the shooting. Faulkner was also arrested on a tampering with evidence charge, deputies said.

Deputies released two surveillance photos of a black, four-door Chevy truck Sunday that they believe the shooter was driving.

Deputies found the truck and a person of interest Sunday evening.

“Everybody’s walking dogs. You have neighbors running and walking,” neighbor Shauna Westbrook said. “We have a really nice park so the kids are always out there playing.”

Westbrook said her 9-year-old son and his friends often ride bikes past the vacant lot where Cooke was shot.

She tells Action News Jax that neighbors have complained about teens partying in the woods behind the lot.

“I know there’s been parties and stuff out there too but nobody has been able to do anything in the neighborhood,” she said. “The cars revving up and people listening to loud music and partying.”

Westbrook said she’ll be keeping a closer eye on her son after Saturday’s shooting.

“Be overprotective of your kids and cautious,” she said. “Watch out for that kind of activity so you can report it.”

Cox Media Group