Fla. man accused of holding woman, child hostage and killing cousin over family dispute
10/11/2023 3:19 pm PDT
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (TCD) -- A 26-year-old man accused of holding a woman and child hostage allegedly killed his cousin in a separate case.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, on Oct. 6, a female victim informed deputies that Jerry Foster, an armed suspect, held her and a child hostage at a home in the 900 block of Bremen Avenue, threatening to kill them.
The next day, she managed to escape and reported the incident to the Sheriff's Office, revealing that the child remained at the residence with Foster.
The SWAT team, Hostage Negotiations Unit, and Drone Unit responded to the home, and Foster eventually exited with the child. Following a brief standoff, authorities apprehended Foster.
The child was unharmed.
According to an arrest report obtained by WEAR-TV, Foster now stands accused of fatally shooting his 38-year-old cousin, Jarvis Johnson, in early September.
On Sept. 9, officials found Johnson dead with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and arm in a front yard on Emerald Avenue in the Oakcrest neighborhood.
Johnson's family members reportedly identified Foster as a person of interest, and he was seen in the area approximately 30 to 45 minutes following the shooting.
According to the report as cited by WEAR, "Family advised that there was a history of violence between the two stemming from a family dispute."
Foster allegedly shot Johnson in the hand in May and threatened to kill him.
During a search of Johnson's cellphone, WEAR reports that he knew "Foster was trying to kill him, but he did not fear death."
Earlier this month, a witness reportedly told officials that Foster confessed to killing Johnson and said he shot him in the chest before going back and shooting him in the head.
Foster allegedly buried the gun following the shooting and then unearthed it several weeks later.
According to WEAR, when deputies apprehended Foster in connection with the hostage case, he was in possession of the gun they believed he had used in Johnson's fatal shooting.
Foster remains held in the Escambia County Jail on charges of homicide, kidnap — false imprisonment, aggravated assault, larceny, and obstructing justice.
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