Triple Murder Suspect From Lakeland, FL Captured by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in Miami

Miami, FL - United States Marshal Amos Rojas Jr. announces the arrest of Jamaal John Smith who is believed to be the alleged shooter in a triple homicide in central Florida. Smith, 25, was taken into custody yesterday by the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force in Miami with the assistance of detectives from the City of Miami, City of North Miami Police Departments, and a Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy who are all assigned to the Marshals task force. Smith has been a fugitive on the run for more than a month since he is alleged to have murdered three people and shot another person in the face. That person survived the deadly shooting. The shooting occurred on January 6, 2016 at approximately 6:44 am at a residence located at 2314 Magnolia Street East, Lakeland, Florida. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has charged Smith with three counts of First Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, Armed Burglary with a Battery, Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Police reports state the victims in the shooting were shot “execution style”.

On Thursday evening (02/11/16) at approximately 11:00 pm, members of the U.S. Marshals Task Force in Miami and uniformed officers from the City of North Miami Police Department converged on an apartment building located at 13155 NE 6th Avenue in North Miami. Smith was located in the back bedroom of the apartment and was arrested without incident.

Smith fled the Lakeland and Polk County area shortly after the shooting and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Tampa and Miami were contacted to assist in the search for Smith on January 15, 2016. U.S. Marshals in Miami, City of Miami and Miami Dade Police detectives assigned to the Marshals Fugitive Task Force have been investigating the whereabouts of Smith for several weeks.

Two alleged accomplices in the Lakeland triple homicide, Andrew Joseph, 35, and Jonathon Alcegaire, 27, were captured by City of Miami Police detectives on January 11 & 12th. Smith’s photograph was broadcast by the news media in Miami on January 25, 2016.

Smith was born in Broward County and has family and friends in the South Florida area. A Polk County Sheriff’s detective assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Tampa has been in South Florida for two weeks working leads with the U.S. Marshals to locate and arrest Smith.

The U.S. Marshals Task Force developed information on Thursday that Smith was believed to be hiding out in the apartment on NE 6th Avenue. Task Force officers conducted surveillance the entire day on Thursday and into the evening until they were convinced that Smith was hiding out in an associate’s apartment. No law enforcement or civilian personnel were injured during the arrest. Smith will be booked into the Miami-Dade County jail on the outstanding charges from Polk County and he will be extradited back to central Florida in the coming weeks.

The United States Marshals Service Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force – Miami Division is supported by the Miami Dade Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, City of Miami Gardens Police Department, City of Hialeah Police Department, City of North Miami Police Department, City of Aventura Police Department, City of Miami Beach Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In 2014, the United States Marshals Service Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force – Miami Division arrested 711 fugitives for crimes including but not limited to Homicide, Weapon Offenses, Sex Offenses, Assaults, and Robberies.