Miami man, 25, apprehended for fatal shooting at Savannas Preserve State Park

Man Arrested in Connection to Fatal Shooting at State Park in Port St. Lucie

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 25-year-old man was apprehended in Miami on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a fatal shooting that occurred at the Savannas Preserve State Park in Port St. Lucie two months ago, according to police sources.

Port St. Lucie police detectives, in collaboration with the Miami-Dade Police Department, arrested Jamal Jacques in connection to the shooting death of a 25-year-old male victim discovered at the state park in August.

Authorities reported that on August 8, Jacques, accompanied by Emanuel Leatherwood, 21, and Vicky Santiesteban, 23, were traveling together in a vehicle from Miami to Orlando. While en route, Leatherwood stopped in Port St. Lucie to refuel the car. It was during this stop that Jacques allegedly shot the victim, who was seated beside him in the backseat, for reasons that remain unknown.

In the aftermath of the incident, Port St. Lucie police relayed that Leatherwood and Santiesteban fled the scene in their vehicle, leaving Jacques behind with the deceased victim at the Savannas Preserve State Park. Upon contacting emergency services, Jacques initially claimed that his friend had been responsible for the shooting, a statement that investigative officers later determined to be false.

Following a thorough investigation, the Port St. Lucie police major crimes unit detectives obtained arrest warrants for all three suspects involved in the case.

Leatherwood and Santiesteban were successfully apprehended in Miami last week and are now facing charges of being accessories after the fact for their alleged involvement in the crime. Meanwhile, Jacques is being charged with first-degree murder.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department shared this development on their official Facebook page, urging the public to remain vigilant and provide any additional information that could aid in their ongoing investigation.

As the legal proceedings move forward, the community waits in anticipation for justice to be served in this tragic incident that unfolded at the Savannas Preserve State Park.