The man, already in jail on a molestation charge, is accused of participating in an attempted armed robbery during which his alleged co-offender was killed.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man was arrested for murder Wednesday for his alleged role in an 2025 armed robbery-gone-wrong, and police didn’t have to try too hard to find him — he was already behind bars.
Damon Thomas, 45, is accused of attempting to rob the owner of a business on Baymeadows Road with 32-year-old Rhoderius Simmons in November. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says that Simmons was shot during an exchange of gunfire with the owner.
“While Simmons passed away in the parking lot, Thomas drove off from the area,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.
Under Florida law, suspects can be charged with murder if a co-offender is killed or kills someone else during the commission of a felony. In addition, Thomas was arrested for attempted murder, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and attempted armed robbery.
Thomas was already in the Duval County jail Wednesday. He had previously been arrested in December 2025 after allegedly molesting a child earlier that year. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge and is expected to go to trial.