The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has arrested a second man in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred during a failed robbery attempt on Monday, September 12 at the Greenway Trailhead in Ocala.
On September 12, at approximately 4:30 p.m., MCSO received a call regarding a man at the Maricamp Emergency Department who had sustained a gunshot wound to the hand. The man stated that he was robbed at the trailhead, and he told MCSO that someone at the incident location was “possibly dead.”
When deputies arrived at the trailhead, they located a deceased man who was later identified as 19-year-old Cameron Cole Dalzell. The victim had sustained at least one gunshot wound.
MCSO Major Crimes detectives began investigating the fatal shooting. According to MCSO, 19-year-old Jordan Matthew Neal arrived at the sheriff’s office and requested to speak with a detective.
In a press release, MCSO stated that the interview revealed that Neal and Dalzell were both armed, and they had met with two individuals with the plan to rob them of marijuana. Neal and Dalzell met with the two individuals in a vehicle – Dalzell sat up front and Neal was in the back of the vehicle.
Neal told an MCSO detective that Dalzell pulled out his firearm and pointed it at the driver. In response, the driver allegedly pulled out a firearm, pointed it at Dalzell, and both men began firing at each other. The driver sustained a gunshot wound on his hand and Dalzell was fatally shot.
Neal stated that he attempted to pull out his firearm, but it was taken away by the other individual in the vehicle. After his firearm was taken, Neal advised that he ran away from the vehicle. He stated that he heard “three or four shots,” and he was unsure who fired the first shot.
The MCSO report indicated that Neal “provided details about the crime scene that would only be known by someone involved.”
Neal was arrested on Tuesday, September 13. He was transported to Marion County Jail, and he was later released on $100,000 bond.
Neal is facing felony charges for second degree murder while engaged in robbery and robbery with a firearm. According to MCSO, Neal is facing these charges since he had allegedly executed a plan with Dalzell to rob the two individuals at gunpoint during a pre-arranged drug deal.
A court date has not been scheduled yet for Neal, according to jail records.
MCSO stated in a press release that its investigation determined that 22-year-old Jeovanni Alexis Pulgarin had organized a plan for Neal and Dalzell to rob the two individuals of marijuana.
According to MCSO, Pulgarin made the arrangements for the meeting and agreed to pay Neal $1,000 for his involvement. Pulgarin traveled to the trailhead with Neal and Dalzell, allegedly provided a handgun to Neal, and remained out of sight during the robbery attempt that resulted in the fatal shooting.
“Because Pulgarin formulated the robbery plan and provided a firearm to Neal and Dalzell so they could commit a robbery, the law treats Pulgarin as if he participated in the attempted robbery with Neal and Dalzell,” stated MCSO in the press release.
In addition, since Dalzell was killed during the attempted robbery, MCSO stated that Pulgarin is “criminally responsible” for Dalzell’s death.
Pulgarin was arrested and charged with second degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm. He was already in custody at Marion County Jail following a previous arrest on a warrant for trafficking cocaine, possession of fentanyl, possession of MDMA, possession of THC derivatives, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Pulgarin is currently being held at Marion County Jail on $137,000 bond. A court date has been scheduled for Pulgarin on Tuesday, October 18 at 9 a.m. regarding the drug charges, and a separate court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, October 25 at 9 a.m. regarding the second degree murder and attempted robbery charges, according to jail records.