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Woman ‘executed’ by estranged husband who took own life after pursuit, Daytona Beach police say

By CNN

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    TITUSVILLE, Florida (WESH) — A man identified by Daytona Beach police as the suspect in a deadly shooting Monday evening died after crashing his vehicle into a pond at Sand Point Park in Titusville, authorities said.

The investigation began around 6 p.m. when officers with the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to a reported shooting on Reena Drive.

When they arrived, they found a 44-year-old woman dead inside a home. Detectives later identified the victim as Jacqueline Reyes and the suspect — who had left the scene before officers arrived — as 54-year-old Robert Reyes Jr., of St. Cloud.

The department held a news conference to share the details of the incident.

“(Reyes Jr.) forced his way into the back door and executed her,” Daytona Beach police Chief Jakari Young said of the death of Jacqueline Reyes, describing Reyes Jr. as her estranged husband. “(…) The husband was trying to get her back, and then yesterday he found out that she had moved on and was dating new people, which infuriated him.”

The two shared three children together, one of whom made the 911 call, according to Young.

Daytona Beach police said video shows that Reyes Jr. attempted to take his own life before fleeing the scene, but the gun malfunctioned.

According to Daytona Beach police, information about Reyes Jr. and his vehicle was shared with surrounding law enforcement agencies. Titusville police later located the vehicle after it entered the city, where officers attempted a traffic stop.

Interim Titusville Police Chief TJ Wright said the department was alerted by its Flock Safety camera system that Reyes Jr.’s vehicle had entered the city. Officers tracked the vehicle from the north end of Titusville to the south end and back north before locating it about nine minutes after receiving the information from Daytona Beach police.

Titusville police officers attempted a traffic stop.

However, Wright said the driver fled eastbound on A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway before crashing into a pond at Sand Point Park.

Multiple agencies responded to assist, including the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.

A SWAT team and armored vehicle were also deployed before officers determined Reyes Jr. was dead inside the vehicle.

Titusville police initially pointed to preliminary evidence in suggesting Reyes Jr. died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, adding a handgun was recovered from the vehicle. Young’s remarks would offer additional details.

“(Reyes Jr.) fled down to Titusville and ultimately took his own life inside of a vehicle,” Young said.

The Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to make the final determination for cause of death.

Daytona Beach PD said the victim attempted to obtain a restraining order in 2017 but failed to show up, so it was never put in effect.

Reyes Jr. also had a criminal history, including a felony charge for aggravated battery in 2017 out of Orange County that was dropped.

According to Young, Reyes Jr. had even broken into Jacqueline Reyes’ home late last year.

“He basically burglarized it, bleached some of her clothes and then left the scene,” Young said. “This has been going on for quite some time, and then yesterday it just came to a tragic end.”

Daytona Beach police said the homicide investigation remains active. No additional information about the shooting had been released at the time of this writing.

The mayor of Titusville, Andrew Connors, released a statement on the incident as well. See full statement below:

“Tonight, I want to commend the swift and professional response of the Titusville Police Department and our regional law enforcement partners during a critical incident at Sand Point Park.

As announced by TPD, this incident involved a homicide suspect from a neighboring county. Our Flock Safety camera system alerted Titusville Police that the suspect vehicle had entered our city, allowing officers to quickly locate the vehicle. The suspect vehicle subsequently crashed at Sand Point Park. According to TPD, there were no injuries to law enforcement officers. The driver of the suspect vehicle is deceased, and the cause of death is unknown at this time pending further investigation.

This incident demonstrates the value of investing in modern public safety technology and maintaining strong partnerships with neighboring law enforcement agencies. These tools help our officers respond quickly to dangerous situations and play an important role in protecting our community.

I am grateful for the courage and professionalism displayed by the men and women of the Titusville Police Department and thank our law enforcement partners for their cooperation throughout this incident.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Luigi Mangione pleads guilty in federal case, admits shooting Brian Thompson

▶ Watch Video: CBS News New York Luigi Mangione entered a guilty plea in his federal case at a court appearance in Manhattan Friday morning, admitting to the judge that he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown hotel in 2024.Mangione, 28, faced both federal and state trials in New York for the deadly shooting. He had previously pleaded not guilty in both cases.Sentencing in the federal case will take place on Dec. 18, with Mangione facing a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.His state trial is currently set to begin in September. What happened in courtThompson's family arrived in the courtroom at around 10:50 a.m. The hearing, which had been set to start at 11 a.m., got started a bit late. The courtroom had filled press personnel as well as about two rows of members of the public. Mangione entered the court at around 11:10 a.m. with his feet shackled and his hands behind his back. He was wearing tan prison clothing with a white T-shirt underneath. Just before 11:15 a.m., Mangione's defense team told the judge Mangione "is prepared to plead guilty to the indictment at this time." The judge asked Mangione if that was correct. "Yes," Mangione told the judge. The judge then asked Mangione a series of questions about his background and use of medications and drugs. The judge then found Mangione to be fully competent to enter the plea. The judge told Mangione that the maximum possible sentence is life in prison followed by supervised release. The judge added that there's no parole in the federal system, although good behavior and other programs can impact how long he will spend in prison. He will be required to serve 85% of the sentence, the judge said. The judge pointed out that there's no plea agreement between the defense and prosecution, and Mangione's defense attorney said that's correct. Mangione's admission in courtMangione then told the court in his own words what he did. He told the court that he had for years endured severe pain for a boken back and had navigated the health insurance system. He told the court he learned about the UnitedHealthcare annual investor conference in New York even though it wasn't publicized, and traveled to it. He told the court he posed as an investor to find out more information about the conference. He told the court he used a 3D printer to make parts of the gun, and traveled to New York with the gun, silencer, and magazine with "the intent to shoot Brian Thompson." He said he shot Thompson in Manhattan knowing it would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury. Prosecutors then spoke in court, reviewing the evidence against Mangione. They pointed to video capturing the shooting, as well as Mangione fleeing the scene on the bicycle, his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the recovered pistol and shell casings, as well as DNA found at the crime scene. Prosecutors said entries in Mangione's notebook expressed his desire to kill a health care executive. "Mr. Mangione, how do you now plead to counts one and two of the indictment," the judge asked. "Guilty," Mangione said. "I will accept your guilty plea," the judge said. About the chargesMangione initially faced four federal charges in Thompson's killing. Two of those charges against him, one of which brought the possibility of the death penalty — murder through use of a firearm and an additional firearms charge — were dismissed earlier this year, and federal prosecutors said they would not appeal that decision.That left federal stalking charges against him, which brought the possibility of life in prison without the possibility of parole.Jury selection in the federal case had been set to begin in January. Speculation about a possible plea deal had been rampant since Tuesday, when prosecutors and Mangione's defense team sent a letter to the court requesting a Friday conference regarding the federal case.What the federal plea deal means for Luigi Mangione's state trialThe plea deal will put an end to the federal trial and raises questions about Mangione's state trial, which is set to begin in September.The state case, in which he faces second-degree murder charges, among others, also carries with it the possibility of life in prison.The plea deal, however, may revive a double jeopardy argument, CBS News legal contributor Caroline Polisi said on "CBS Mornings" Thursday.Double jeopardy refers to a law stating "a person may not be twice prosecuted for the same offense," although there are a number of exceptions. "Luigi Mangione's defense team had made that argument in the state case prior, and this could revive it, because if you actually have a conviction on the federal case, it's a more robust double jeopardy protection in the New York state case. So we could see a motion there that could kick this state case back," Polisi said.Legal expert Rich Schoenstein, however, said he thinks the double jeopardy argument is "open and complicated and subject to debate." Schoenstein said that's because the federal charges Mangione is pleading guilty to are related to interstate matters and stalking, which are quite different than the second-degree murder, weapons and forged instrument charges he's facing on a state level. "So the weapons and forged instrument charges would not be resolved by the federal plea, and arguably the intentional killing charge would not be resolved. I do think there's a serious question as to whether this would be double jeopardy," Schoenstein said.The plea deal, however, may "put some pressure" on New York prosecutors to reach a deal too, "and therefore it could resolve the case on a negotiated level." Evidence in the Luigi Mangione caseKey evidence seized during Mangione's Pennsylvania arrest had been expected to be admitted in the federal trial, including a 3D-printed handgun, loaded magazine, a notebook and more.Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he arrived at a hotel for UnitedHealth Group's annual investor conference. The killing  of the husband and father of two was caught on surveillance video, which showed Thompson being shot in the back as he walked down the street. Police say the words "delay," "deny" and "depose" were written on the ammunition, echoing a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.Thompson's killing set off a frantic multistate manhunt that ended with Mangione's arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days later.This is a developing story. Check back soon for more information. 
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