JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — A peaceful and picturesque Thursday morning in Jacksonville Beach saw people strolling in the sand, seemingly unaware of a grim reality – a man was found stabbed to death underneath the pier Wednesday night.
But it’s a scene that stays with Armando Rodriguez, who said he found the man’s body after seeing him in a fight earlier that night involving a knife.
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“I saw the knife, saw a knife pulled out. It was sheathed after I left,” Rodriguez said. “The blade on it must’ve been at least that big.”
Rodriguez said it’s unclear who drew the knife first, and he tried to de-escalate the fight before leaving to visit a friend.
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Rodriguez said he then returned to the beach at least 15 minutes later and found the man dead.
“So it was about 6:45, and I came walking across the pier, and I saw a guy there on the floor,” Rodriguez said. “I saw the body and I was like ‘hey — touching your body like I’m touching you right now — hey hey.’ And eventually, I was like ‘hey’ ...no movement, respond, no response.”
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Rodriguez said he later called the police. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department said it was dispatched to the scene at 9:52 p.m. on Wednesday and pronounced the man dead.
Nearby restaurant worker Dominic Aramayo was in the area when first responders arrived.
“I was just rolling sushi and then the next thing I seen was like eight cop cars coming out of nowhere. Fire trucks and ambulance coming out of nowhere, didn’t know what was going on,” Aramayo said.
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Police say the investigation is in its early stages.
While the death investigation continues, police did say there isn’t a threat to the public.
Police are not yet specifying the victim or suspect’s age and name.
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