Man indicted on murder charges in Jacksonville taxi driver's death

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An 18-year-old charged in the murder of a Jacksonville cab driver has been indicted.

The jury indicted Deron Montrell Brown on charges of murder in the first degree, attempted armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in the January 2016 death of Melvin Wright.

Wright was found with a gunshot wound inside his yellow taxi cab on the Northside Jan. 30. He crashed his cab into a tree in the front yard of an abandoned home.

Fire rescue rushed Wright to UF Health Jacksonville, but he died from his injuries.

Brown and two teens were arrested in early February after police tracked down the suspects by the phone number used to call a cab.

Police linked the phone number to 15-year-old Tionne Williams, who lived at the Panama Youth Services Center less than a block away from the crime scene.

Tavione Williams, 17, also lived in the center.

After interviewing Tionne, police learned of a plan to rob the driver when he arrived.

Police said Brown was the mastermind behind the plan and got Tionne Williams and Tavione Williams to help carry it out.

Investigators said that when Wright arrived Brown Jr. shot him in the chest and everyone fled the scene.

Brown did not live at the youth center and fled to South Florida after the shooting.

He turned himself in to authorities in Broward County on Feb. 2.

JSO said he was 17 years old during the time of the crime.

His arraignment date is set for March 10.

Cox Media Group