Law enforcement officials in Flagler County, Florida, dated back to September 2023 after an investigation revealed that the father of the first suspect allegedly helped stage the crime scene and dispose of evidence. A second arrest has been made in connection with the shooting death of an 18-month-old child.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said Monday that CJ Nelson Sr. instructed CJ Nelson Jr. on how to cover up the Sept. 3, 2023, shooting death of 18-month-old Jariyah Alan. Detectives have announced that they have determined that he gave the same amount of money.
Nelson Jr. was previously indicted on charges of manslaughter by a Flagler County grand jury.
Sheriff Rick Staley said, “The apple didn't fall far from the tree. CJ Nelson Sr. will never be the father of the year, let alone one day, because of his actions.” he said. “I would like to once again commend Detective Gordon and the Major Incident Unit for continuing their investigation to determine who tampered with the scene and what was done by whom.”
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CJ Nelson Sr. (right) and CJ Nelson Jr. book a photo. The two were charged in connection with the death of 18-month-old Jaliya Alan. (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
Authorities say Nelson Sr. was called to his home the night of the shooting, forced his son to hand over the gun used in the shooting, and only handled it while wearing a T-shirt to protect it from fingerprints. That's what it means. gun.
Nelson Sr. placed a gun in the bedroom where officers found him and told witnesses to tell officers he and his son were outside smoking at the time of the incident, the sheriff's office said.
The two then went to a residence in Palm Coast, Florida, where Nelson Sr. told his son to take a shower to remove any evidence or gunshot residue from his body.
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Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley holds a press conference. (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
As a result of the investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Nelson Sr. on January 5, 2024, on charges of tampering with evidence and providing false information to law enforcement during an investigation.
He was arrested at Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility (his son was already in custody) and released on $15,000 bail.
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According to the sheriff's office, Nelson Sr. has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2003, including assault, cocaine possession, cocaine sales and child neglect with bodily harm.
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“We have a very good team and we have very good skills,” Staley said. “We have continued to investigate the incident since the shooting because the evidence quickly showed that the crime scene had been tampered with and no witnesses came forward.”
