𝐒𝐉𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐅 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆

SJSO Major Crimes detectives have made an additional arrest in the March 2026 shooting on Crimson Leaf Drive.

Armando Lopez Cobo (23) is charged with Accessory After the Fact to Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm.

On March 4, 2026, SJSO deputies responded to a shooting in a construction area near the intersection of Crimson Leaf Drive and Johns Island Parkway. Deputies identified three male victims. One male victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased on scene.

The suspect, Yovany Lopez Cobo (20), and passenger, Armando, fled the scene and were located by deputies driving westbound on SR206. Yovany was arrested for second-degree murder in the death of one victim and attempted second-degree murder [2 counts] in reference to two other victims struck by gunfire. Armando was not charged at the time of the shooting, but through further investigative efforts and review of evidence, detectives established probable cause and charged Armando with accessory after the fact.

Armando is in custody at the St. Johns County Jail on $100,000 bond.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐃

Local contractor, Michael Trail (47) of M&M Cabinets of North Florida, Inc., has been arrested and charged with Grand Theft and Scheme to Defraud.

In April 2026, the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office contacted the SJSO Property Crimes Unit with information about a grand theft and scheme to defraud case involving victims in St. Johns County.

SJSO detectives determined Trail was hired by the victims in 2025 to build and install custom cabinetry in their St. Johns County home. Trail estimated the project would take about three weeks and the victims paid a deposit of $12,256.00.

After receiving the deposit, Trail failed to complete the work and offered numerous excuses for the delays. Several weeks passed and Trail requested an additional $6,500.00 to complete the project.
The victims complied, but despite the additional payment, Trail did not complete the work. The victims paid a total of $18,756.00 and were left without completed cabinetry, including missing doors, drawer fronts, shelving, trim, crown molding, hardware, finish work, and other promised items.

Detectives also reviewed prior law enforcement reports involving Trail and spoke to other complainants, some not located in St. Johns County, who hired him. While some complainants received most of the work they paid for, all described similar patterns of paying large deposits, numerous delays and completion dates, and in some cases were asked for additional money while projects remained unfinished.
Based on the investigation, Trail knowingly obtained $18,756.00 from the victims in St. Johns County, claiming he would complete their project but failed to do so and accepted the funds. Trail was located on June 24 by the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office and arrested.

If you hired or paid Michael Trail to perform contracting work, please contact Detective Aran at 904-209-2212 or email [email protected].

𝐒𝐉𝐒𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃

SJSO Special Victims Unit detectives have arrested and charged Kiah Lowery (36) with Child Abuse.

On May 31, 2026, SJSO deputies responded to a residence on Alta Street in St. Augustine in reference to a report of child abuse. The complainant received an Instacart delivery of groceries, and upon review of the Ring doorbell camera, observed a violent interaction between the Instacart employee and an accompanying child during the delivery.

Deputies analyzed the video and identified the Instacart employee as Kiah Lowery and the victim as her child. The video shows the child struggling with holding a basket of groceries, and Lowery appearing frustrated, verbally scolding the child. When the child is unable to carry the basket, Lowery orders the child to carry a 24-pack of bottled water instead. The child voiced the struggle with the weight of the item and dropped the case of water bottles. This action caused Lowery to become angry and strike the child in the face.

Based on the investigation conducted by the SJSO Special Victims Unit, Florida Department of Children and Families, and State Attorney's Office, Lowery was arrested and transported to the St. Johns County Jail. Post Lowery’s release, she is ordered to have no contact with the child.

Happy Father’s Day from #TeamSJSO! Today, we proudly honor the dedicated fathers who serve within our agency and the loved ones who stand behind our personnel. Thank you for your support, we appreciate all you do.

It’s storm season, and weather conditions can change rapidly. If you’re on the roads, please use caution.

⚠️ Check weather and road conditions
⚠️ Slow down
⚠️ Turn on headlights and windshield wipers
⚠️ Never drive through flooded areas
⚠️ Be cautious of high winds

🚦If traffic signals are inoperable and law enforcement is present, follow their directions.

🚦If traffic signals are flashing red, make a complete stop and treat the intersection as a four-way stop.

🚦 If signals are flashing yellow, proceed with caution and be prepared to yield to oncoming traffic.

Your safety is important. Please monitor weather conditions and travel accordingly. #TeamSJSO

𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖 𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄

SJSO Major Crimes detectives arrested Brandon Calloway (38) for first-degree murder related to the 2018 fatal shooting of Lavert Durden (28).

On November 16, 2018, deputies responded to the intersection of Herbert and Christopher Street in West Augustine where Durden was shot and killed.

Last week, a St. Johns County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Calloway. At the time of his arrest, Calloway was serving an eight-year prison sentence for unrelated charges. He was transported to the St. Johns County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

Happy Juneteenth from #TeamSJSO!
Our administrative offices are closed today, but deputies and emergency services are operating as normal.

Today, Sheriff Hardwick and members of #TeamSJSO attended the 13th annual Commemoration of the Mass Arrest of Rabbis at the St. Johns County Jail Annex. The ceremony, hosted by the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society, honors the 1964 arrests of the 16 rabbis who came to St. Augustine to advocate for civil rights for Black Americans. 

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺,” 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. “𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵. 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧’𝘴 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳.”

During his remarks, Sheriff Hardwick emphasized the importance of memorializing the stories heard during the event. He also reflected on Rabbi Allen Secher; the last surviving member of the rabbis who traveled to St. Augustine to protest segregation. The ceremony included the reading of two documents; one of which was the 1964 letter, “Why We Went”, which Rabbi Secher helped author alongside the other arrested rabbis while imprisoned in St. Augustine.

🚕𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘 🚕

#TeamSJSO is hosting Teen Driver Challenge this summer. The one-day driving course, sponsored by the Florida Sheriffs Association, educates teen drivers about the rules of the road, builds their skills, safety, and confidence with guidance from deputies. 

Participants practice backing, turning, figure-8s, evasive maneuvers, serpentine driving, and off-road recovery exercises. 

"𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘴," 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. "𝘚𝘰 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧'𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯."

Thank you to the @hananiaautogroup for their partnership and providing vehicles for use during the program.

Summer 2026 classes are full but visit our website for more information about the Teen Driver Challenge.

𝐒𝐉𝐒𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 $𝟏𝟕𝐊+ 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐌 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

In July 2025, SJSO Property Crimes detectives initiated a financial scam investigation after a victim was contacted by an individual fraudulently posing as a business representative. The individual claimed the victim owed money and their personal information had been used to open bank accounts. The individual also persuaded the victim to withdrawal money in order to keep their funds safe.

Over the course of four months, the victim sent multiple payments and lost more than $149,000. Through investigative efforts and using advanced technology, SJSO detectives tracked several of the transactions and froze the overseas account holder's access. As a result, and with assistance of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Office of Statewide Prosecution, detectives returned $17,376.35 to the victim.

While the amount recovered is only a small portion of the funds lost, recovering fraudulently obtained money is very difficult for law enforcement. Criminals move the money quickly through complicated layers of bank accounts, shell companies, cryptocurrencies, or offshore accounts in different countries, which makes tracing the funds slow and challenging. Investigators often need search warrants, subpoenas, and cooperation from foreign governments, which can take weeks or months. Different law and banking rules across borders also add more hurdles, and proving the funds are criminal proceeds requires strong evidence that can be hard to gather amid advanced money-laundering techniques.

Every case is different, but SJSO detectives continue to learn the tactics criminals use, allowing them to stop scams more quickly, recover stolen property, and stay one step ahead of criminals targeting the St. Johns County community.