An Ocala man who was missing was found dead Sunday night on the side of a road in Levy County.
Deputies and detectives from the Levy County sheriff’s Office responded to the incident after a 911 caller reported seeing a man’s body on County Road 464. The investigation soon revealed that the man, 33-year-old Jafet Padin Rodriguez, had died as a result of a single gunshot wound, a sheriff’s office report states.
Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office had responded to a suspicious incident earlier Sunday and had been attempting to locate Rodriguez to check on his well-being. When they were not able to find him, they issued a “Be On The Lookout” bulletin, which aided Levy County detectives in identifying Rodriguez.
The investigation determined that Rodriguez went clubbing in the Ocala area on Saturday night and never returned home. Anyone who saw Rodriguez in or near any nightclubs in Ocala and has information that could assist the investigation is asked to call Detective Mike McNeil at (352) 486-5111. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-877-349-8477.