Crime
Juvenile Carjacking Suspect in Custody After Fleeing Into Kentridge High School Parking Lot
The suspect was found to have entered the high school, located and taken to into custody without incident
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 – At around 9:30 a.m. this morning Kent Police responded to a report of a carjacking after the victim called 911.
The victim, a 27-year-old Newcastle man, reported that the suspect had posed as a purchaser of a vehicle he had for sale.
Following a test drive and a discussion about the price for the vehicle the suspect produced a firearm and took the vehicle.
The suspect fled into the parking lot of Kentridge High School where the unoccupied vehicle was located by police.
The suspect was found to have entered the high school, which was immediately placed on lockdown.
The suspect, who is a juvenile and will not be identified further at this point, was located and taken to into custody without incident and there is no ongoing threat to safety at the school.
The school will remain on a modified lockdown while police process evidence of the carjacking.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Kentridge High School is currently under a full lockdown. Local law enforcement agencies are actively searching for a potential suspect who may have entered the school while it was placed on lockdown.
It is important to emphasize that there is no active shooter situation at this time.
A witness at the scene told Channel2 NOW that they saw numerous police officers surrounding Kentridge High School, while concerned parents and crying students gathered on the sidewalk.
According to a source, authorities are currently attempting to negotiate with the teen they have located, while a helicopter continues to circle overhead. One of the two teens has been found, and students can hear police communicating over the intercom. (As reported by my daughter at KR.)
As at the time of this report, there has been neither confirmation nor identification of any victims.
No suspects have been identified, and there has been no information immediately released regarding any arrests.
Police ask public to please stay out of the area.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.
Orlando, Fla. — Family and friends of 33-year-old Julien Emmanuel Cruz are seeking answers and accountability following his fatal shooting outside a popular LGBTQ+ nightclub early Sunday morning.
According to the Orlando Police Department, officers responded at approximately 2:31 a.m. on February 22, 2026, to the 1900 block of North Orange Avenue, just north of Lake Ivanhoe, in reference to a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located Cruz suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Authorities confirmed Cruz was born May 18, 1992.
Detectives determined that prior to the shooting, Cruz and the suspect were involved in a verbal and physical altercation on the sidewalk outside the nightclub district. Investigators say that during the dispute, the suspect retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and shot Cruz.
The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, which patrol officers later located in the 200 block of East New Hampshire Avenue, approximately two blocks from where the shooting occurred.
Police subsequently arrested 37-year-old Jean Gabriel Borja Gil De La Madr (DOB: October 29, 1988). He has been charged with Second Degree Murder with a Firearm. Authorities confirmed this case marks the third homicide in Orlando in 2026.
Cruz’s father, Anthony Cruz, said his son and his partner had been at Savoy Orlando enjoying the evening before the violence unfolded.
According to the family, as the couple exited the club after closing time, a vehicle sped past them. Cruz’s partner allegedly yelled toward the occupants of the vehicle, prompting the car to stop. A physical altercation then reportedly began between Cruz’s partner and one of the individuals from the vehicle.
“When they fought, my son saw that was happening. My son went to intervene, and when he intervened, another guy got out of the car, and he got shot,” Anthony Cruz said. “My son didn’t deserve what happened. All I have left is a shirt — a shirt with a bullet hole.”
While police have charged Borja Gil De La Madr, Cruz’s family maintains that another individual may have been directly responsible for pulling the trigger. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether additional suspects are being sought.
A small memorial has formed across from the nightclub, where members of the community have gathered to honor Cruz’s memory.
Joshua Cooper, owner of Savoy Orlando, said the tragedy has deeply impacted the LGBTQ+ community, even though the shooting occurred off the club’s property.
“I didn’t know the victim, but from everything I’ve been told, I wish I had,” Cooper said. “He seemed like a great kid. Seeing a family that is so heartbroken and so supportive of this community says so much.”
The Orlando Police Department has not released additional information regarding potential additional suspects. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation and shooting.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Orlando Police Department or Crimeline.
The investigation remains active.