JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — At the intersection of McDuff Avenue and Rexford Street is a memorial honoring the life of Marilyn Johnson.
Her daughter identified her to Action News Jax. She says they’re seeking closure and support for their family after she was killed in a deadly hit-and-run.
Natasha Nielsen admits her relationship with her mother was a complicated one. She’d been looking to reunite with her for nine years.
“I thought I was eventually gonna find her. We was gonna have our sit-down and finally talk and then she can meet the babies,” Nielsen said.
She says that hope dimmed when she got a call from her brother this past weekend, saying she had lost her life.
“I was in the store. I dropped everything I had. I just stood in the middle of the store with my hands over my face,” Neilsen said. “I am angry, hurt, and honestly, the rest is like a loss for words.”
Police say her mother was hit and killed by a vehicle on August 15 in Jacksonville’s Lackawanna area. They say the driver left the scene without trying to help and could face up to thirty years in prison if they have to track the person down.
“I do hope they find the person that did it, and I hope whoever knows anything, please come forward and tell,” Nielsen said.
Action News Jax reached back out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office today to ask questions about if they’ve found or identified the suspect, if they have a description of the vehicle that hit her, and for any updates on the case.
They told me this was still an ongoing investigation, and they could not provide any updates. Nielsen says the next steps are bringing her mother home and figuring out how she’ll be able to afford it.
“So that I can pay for the funeral cost itself and the cremation and everything so she can come home,” Nielsen said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has direct information about the hit-and-run vehicle or driver to call 630-0500, submit an online crime tip at JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org, or contact First Coast CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
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