JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is expected to hold a media briefing at 10:30 Thursday morning on the shooting of an armed carjacking suspect.
After a police officer shot a carjacking suspect near a hotel around the Baymeadows and 95 area Wednesday morning, people are questioning the safety of Dix Ellis Trail and the cause of the crime that is so rampant in the area.
The Trail is a small stretch of road that has a few hotels and has seen far more than its fair share of police activity.
A man was shot at the America's Best Inn in March. An Islamic center had a bomb scare in February that turned out to be an empty suitcase. A fire and a shooting at a Motel 6 in 2013 left two women in their early 20s with injuries.
Wednesday's shooting took place at the La Quinta Inn. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said that a convicted felon, under investigation in connection with other violent crimes, was shot in the ankle by Officer Jason Lederman.
Officials said that the man and a woman were trying to get into a stolen car that had been taken at gunpoint three days ago and was under surveillance by police.
When police approached the man, he took off, jumping a fence to escape police and K-9 units when he was shot.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said that there are some very pointed reasons why the area has so many problems. One of those reasons is its close proximity to I-95, which brings in a transient population stopping at the hotels.
The major issue, though, according to Smith, is the prostitution that goes on in the area.
"They're a bit more sophisticated than just standing out on the street. They use social media, such as backpage.com and there are like six or seven that are listed for escort services in this area alone," Smith said
Smith said the Internet has changed the way prostitution works and it's often a mechanism to set meet-up locations like hotel rooms. Smith also said that where there's prostitution, crimes involving guns tend to follow.
"Once you start getting the prostitution, then it leads to the drugs and other activities. Especially when you have the restaurants and gas stations, and that's been going on a little while now," Smith said.