Daytona Beach, FL - A woman has been charged with second-degree murder after she shot a man who was engaging in a dispute with neighbors outside an apartment on Shady Place in Daytona Beach.
According to the Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD), a man left his apartment at 201 Shady Place to take out the garbage shortly before 11:30 AM on Saturday. He noticed Patrick Robinson yelling at a neighbor outside his apartment. According to the witness, 39-year-old Latasha Reaves left the apartment and shot Robinson while standing no more than five feet away from him.
The witness said he stayed outside the apartment after the shooting while Reaves went back inside. Police later showed the witness a photograph of Reaves and he was able to positively identify her as the person who shot Robinson.
A female witness told police that she and Reaves were standing in the doorway when Reaves shot the victim from behind her. The witness told police both she and Reaves went back into the apartment and hid the gun, along with marijuana and cocaine, under the bathroom sink.
According to police, Reaves’ behavior prior to her arrest was erratic. She took off all of her clothes and lied in bed, refusing to put on clothes for several hours. A witness said Reaves had not been taking her prescribed medication, but police were not able to confirm the need or use of psychotropic medication. Police suspected she was under the influence of a substance that affected her mood and behavior.
Police searched the apartment and found a gun matching the description of the one used to shoot and kill Robinson where one of the witnesses says she put it. It is unknown whether police found any illegal drugs, any medication prescribed to Reaves, or any documents relating to her physical or mental health.
Police say Reaves’ behavior slowly improved and she was taken into custody. Police indicate that Reaves initially said she did not know who had shot and killed Robinson. Reaves later said she heard a disturbance involving the victim outside of the apartment.
Reaves was subsequently charged with second-degree murder. She remains at the Volusia County Branch Jail with no bond.
(Reaves' mugshot courtesy of the Volusia County Branch Jail)
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