Jacksonville Beach police arrest Pennsylvania murder suspect on weekend of reopening
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Pennsylvania man left Florida's newly reopened Jacksonville Beach in handcuffs Sunday after he was arrested in connection with a killing in January, police said.
Jacksonville Beach officers arrested Mario Matthew Gatti, 30, on a warrant charging him with criminal homicide in Arnold, Pennsylvania, according to Sgt. Tonya Tator, department public information officer.
Gatti of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, is wanted in the Jan. 16, slaying of a 33-year-old man in the Westmoreland County community near Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
The victim, Michael Coover Jr., died after being shot multiple times inside a house. Gatti and Coover knew each other, the newspaper reported.
Gatti also faces charges of burglary, illegal possession of a firearm and multiple counts of recklessly endangering another person and terroristic threats, according to the newspaper.
From the weekend: Florida begins reopening beaches amid coronavirus crisis, and people enthusiastically flocked
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced that Duval County beaches would reopen Friday afternoon with restricted hours and could be used for walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming, taking care of pets and surfing.
Jacksonville Beach officers were patrolling to ensure people were abiding by social distancing and other beach rules when they noticed Gatti, Tator said.
Gatti was loitering close to the dunes when officers approached him. They then identified him as a murder suspect, Tator said.
Police arrested him without incident. He was booked into the Duval County jail as a fugitive from justice.
In addition to the murder warrant, Gatti faces charges of giving false information to a law enforcement officer and possession of a new legend drug without a prescription, Tator said.
Contributing: Jay Cannon, Morgan Hines, Paste BN
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