Detectives with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office have charged 20 year-old Jamar Johnson with second degree murder after a fight resulted in the death of a jail inmate.
According to detectives, on Saturday, June 13, 2020, 54-year-old inmate Julio Vega and 20-year-old inmate Jamar Johnson had an altercation in the maximum security section of the Pinellas County Jail. Vega fell and hit his head. Vega initially claimed that he fell by accident and denied that he had been assaulted by Johnson or anyone else. In a press release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, they say that Vega did not appear seriously injured as a result of his fall.
Vega had other medical conditions for which he was being treated that were unrelated to the fall. Vega’s medical condition deteriorated and he was transported to the hospital on July 14, 2020.
Vega remained in the hospital’s care until he died on July 17, 2020.
The District Six Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy and determined the cause of death to be complications of blunt head trauma from the June 13th incident and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.
Detectives conducted an investigation over the past several months and determined that Vega did not fall by accident. It was due to an altercation with Mr. Vega that caused his fall. Detectives have charged Johnson with Second Degree Murder.
According to the arrest documentation, Johnson and Vega engaged in a verbal altercation inside the bathroom area at the jail. Vega was ultimately knocked unconscious and rendered helpless lying on the floor. Johnson reportedly began to kick the victim’s head numerous times. He sustained swelling to the back of the head and lacerations to the facial area. Vega was transported to the hospital almost one month after he experienced the injuries. Vega died three days after his transfer to the hospital.
Johnson has been in the Pinellas County Jail since July 18, 2019 when he was involved in a fatal pedestrian crash that killed a woman in St. Petersburg. Johnson was arrested for one count of Vehicular Homicide, one count of Fleeing & Eluding, one count of Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Death, and one count of Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Property Damage. The information on that case can be located here (Pedestrian struck and killed as man flees from police over missing tag light and window tint violation).