JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Marshals Service on Friday arrested a 27-year-old man accused of killing a 65-year-old man outside an Edgewood convenience store in January, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
According to police, Willie Dornes, 65, was shot and killed the afternoon of Jan. 6 near the Shell store that his family said he regularly visited near the intersection of Edgewood Avenue North and Lowell Avenue. Police said it was the result of some kind of altercation.
"This was his regular store," said Alberta Bordeaux, Dornes' sister. "Everybody up here knew him."
Dornes' family said the father of two was trying to defend himself from three men who were bullying him and Dornes was shot in the back while trying to get away on his bicycle.
Sheriff's Office Lt. Craig Waldrup announced Friday afternoon that several witnesses identified the shooter as Donovan Smith, 27, and a warrant was obtained for his arrest. He was located by the U.S. Marshals Service in Jacksonville and was arrested on a charge of murder and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
Dornes' family members told News4Jax that they had been waiting for months for the arrest, and they now feel like they can finally have closure.
Ann Jordan, Dornes' sister, said losing her brother, who went by the name of "Frog," has been difficult for the entire family.
"Anytime I see someone riding a bicycle or who resembles him a lot, it really makes me miss him a whole lot more," she said.
Jordan described her brother as a lovable family man who loved to sing and dance.
She now has a message for her brother’s accused killer.
"You can't commit a crime and walk around and think that you're going to continue committing crimes because he has landed himself right where he needs to be at ... in jail," Jordan said. "I don't really have to say anything because the work has been done."
There are co-defendants facing charges, but Smith is the only one charged with murder, according to investigators.