Drug busts help clean up Riverside crime

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – People in Riverside are still keeping a close look out for their safety Friday after police made two busts where multiple people were taken into custody for guns, drugs and a stolen truck.

The busts happened in an area where a restaurant worker was killed last July when he stepped outside to empty trash.

Danial Rowe was the young man killed there and his father was back in the area Friday, looking for clues and information about his son's death and spoke out about the latest rash of crime in the Riverside neighborhood.

Steven Rowe doesn't want people to forget what happened to his son and said they are hoping police make an arrest in the case soon.

"Everything is still up in the air and (police) are still searching and looking. JSO is still doing its job," Steven Rowe said.

He heard about the latest arrests that occurred blocks from where his son was killed and though they are not linked to his son's death, Steven Rowe said it's time to clean up the area and this is a good start.

Police are not saying if the crimes are connected at to each other or to the Rowe murder but Steven Rowe is hopeful that it's a step in the right direction.

"Clean up this neighborhood. Get these people that don't need to be in society off the street. This is a nice area. It's a beautiful area and people have been coming down here for years," Steven Rowe said.

The first of Friday night's arrest happened near the intersection of Post and Acosta streets where two 20 year olds, who were the subject of a stakeout, were stopped in a stolen truck.

James Darnell Littles, 20, was arrested for possession of crack cocaine, codeine and Xanax, while 20-year-old Christopher Mykel Jones was arrested for possession of cocaine and possession of a stolen 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun.

Shortly after, about five blocks away, officers served two search warrants to a home on College Street near Rubel Street as a part of an ongoing investigation.

Police arrested one person there and recovered an undisclosed amount of drugs, money and guns.

News4Jax crime and safety expert Gil Smith said it's no accident or coincidence that both arrests were made yesterday

"Officers actually look for it. Especially since we have the increased crime in the Riverside area with the homicide that was there a couple of months ago. They probably increased their patrols and are looking out more for criminal activity," Smith said.
 


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