BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A man faces an attempted murder charge after deputies said he shot a woman in the back while on a camping trip with friends at Jetty Park.
Around 1:36 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21, deputies said they received the call of a shooting at Jetty Park.
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According to the arrest affidavit, on Saturday, Nov. 20 Jesus Martinez Jimenez, 20, was invited to join his sister and friends at Jetty Park where they were camping. The group had spent the day at the beach and continued spending time together into the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 21 when the shooting occurred.
The victim is the one who had called 911, saying that she had been shot, records show. The victim said she did not believe the accused gunman — later identified as Martinez Jimenez — intended to shoot her, according to the affidavit. She was flown to the hospital where medical staff determined she had been shot four times, deputies said.
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Investigators said they detained those remaining at the campsite, including Martinez Jimenez, and began to question them.
Some did not wish to speak with investigators, but one said that she was sitting with Martinez Jimenez and the victim when the accused shooter pulled out a gun from his bag “and started going crazy.” The woman said she was able to wrestle the gun away from Martinez Jimenez and kick it away. The witness said that the gun did not fire on Martinez Jimenez’s first attempt and that the man had to “charge the weapon” before it would fire, according to deputies.
When investigators questioned Martinez Jimenez, the man first stated he did not know what happened to the victim, records show. Deputies said Martinez Jimenez eventually admitted to bringing the gun and shooting it, but could not say how many times he fired.
At the time, the victim said that she did not want to press charges, so Martinez Jimenez was not immediately arrested, though deputies did intend to file misdemeanor weapons charges against him, according to the affidavit.
On Nov. 22, investigators again spoke with the victim who said that she had changed her mind about filing charges. The woman said that she and Martinez Jimenez were sitting at a picnic table with another person prior to the shooting having a conversation, according to the affidavit when the man grabbed his bag and pulled out a gun.
The victim said she got up to run away and then heard the gunshots, feeling a pain in her chest and backside, deputies said.
Martinez Jimenez was booked into jail Tuesday where he is being held without bond. Investigators did not say why there was a delay between when the victim decided to press charges and when Martinez Jimenez was arrested.