JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An ex-husband shot and killed his wife's new boyfriend last month while she and their 2½-year-old child were inside a car on the Westside, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Juan Carlos Lopez, 33, was shot multiple times on Feb. 27 while sitting in the passenger seat of a car on Beaver Street.
"It appears (the suspect) was following them," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Lt. Steve Gallagher said.
Lopez's girlfriend, who was driving the car, crashed a short distance away in front of the Dollar General store near Cahoon Road. Lopez was taken to UF Health Jacksonville, where he died.
No one else in the car was injured.
The woman and her brother, who was also in the car, identified the suspect as her ex-husband, Anderson Nieves. A warrant was obtained.
Homicide detectives got information that Nieves, 34, had fled Jacksonville. He was arrested in Pinellas County on March 2 and was being brought to Jacksonville to face one count of murder in Duval County.
Nieves has an extensive criminal history, including previous arrests in Clay County for burglary, grand theft and credit card fraud in 2012 and previous arrests in St. Johns County for burglary and grand theft in 2009.
Nieves has been in and out of jail several times since 2010.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said that when dealing with someone of a violent nature, it's crucial to document every encounter.
"You want to document everything: if he makes contact with you, if he's harassing you, following you on the job. You need to document this, and if possible, file for a domestic violence injunction, if there is violence involved," Smith said.
Nieves had no previous domestic violence incidents reported, but Smith said documenting any changes in behavior or violent outbursts of an ex could help a victim and authorities in the long run.
"The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has something that they call an invest team, which is a group of detectives, state attorneys, people from Hubbard House, organizations from all over Jacksonville that is formed to help women get out of these very violent situations," Smith said.