Two deaths, three indictments: Charges handed up in recent cases
A juvenile and two men have been indicted by a grand jury in connection with murders that occurred earlier this year.
The grand jury convened Sept. 18 at the Marion County Judicial Center in front of Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon. Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt, Toby Hunt and Rich Buxman, presented the cases to the panel. Grand jury proceedings are confidential.
Here's what we know:
State v. Rudd Ronel Gelin
Shortly before 1 a.m. on April 29, Ocala police officers were called to a stabbing in the 2300 block of Northwest Seventh Street. Police were told two men were arguing over a woman and it escalated until one man stabbed the other once in the chest.
The victim made his way to a nearby residence and collapsed, police officials said. Officers got to the scene and performed life-saving measures. The man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Once detectives had concluded their investigation, the information was given to the State Attorney's Office for its review.
The victim was Deangelo Laverne Williams, 27, of Ocala. The accused is 28-year-old Rudd Ronel Gelin.
As of Friday, law enforcement officials were trying to find Gelin, who is charged by indictment with second-degree murder.
Anyone with any information about Gelin's whereabouts can call the Ocala Police Department at (352) 369-7000, Crime Stoppers at (352) 368-STOP (7867) or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.
The death of Tylique Le'John Christie
On June 19, deputies were called to the 4400 block of Northwest 22nd Avenue in reference to shots fired in the area. When they got to the scene, they were told that Tylique Le'John Christie had been shot and taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Christie died the next day, deputies said. He was 18 and from Ocala.
Detectives discovered that Christie had gone to that location to sell marijuana. When he got there, a 17-year-old boy approached the vehicle and took the marijuana from Christie and ran.
Then, detectives said, Luis Alexander Figueroa Tirado of Ocala shot Christie at close range. More shots were fired at the vehicle by other individuals, detectives said. Authorities have not yet identify those shooters.
Two people who were in the vehicle with Christie managed to escape unharmed and drove to the hospital.
Both the teen and Figueroa Tirado were identified through forensic evidence and tips from the public, the sheriff's office said. The grand jury indicted both on charges of first-degree murder. Because of his age, the teen is not being named by the Star-Banner.
Both the teen and Figueroa Tirado face other charges. For Figueroa Tirado, it's robbery with a firearm or other deadly weapon and aggravated battery on a person. The juvenile's charges include grand theft of a motor vehicle and armed burglary of a dwelling, structure or conveyance.
Sheriff Billy Woods
In a statement about the shooting, Woods said: “This is another tragic instance of young people killing one another." Calling the death senseless, the sheriff said, "I will not stand idly by while this continues to happen, but it won’t stop until we as a community create a culture where we don’t allow this to happen. Our young people need to know that violence is never the answer and that it just leads to more violence and suffering.”
He thanked the detectives and the public for helping to close the case with an arrest.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Prosecutors secure three murder indictments in recent cases
