Felicia Jones/Photo courtesy of Ratchet Friday Media
The body of Felicia Jones, a pregnant woman, was found in a Jacksonville, Florida park in an incident that authorities are calling foul play.
Jones’ body was discovered in Riverview Park by a passerby who was on a walk at about 6:30 a.m., reported First Coast News.
Authorities pronounced Jones, 21, dead at the scene.
After an initial investigation, police are treating this situation as a “suspicious death with foul play suspected,” according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Officers have not explained what led them to the conclusion of foul play.
The JSO has canvassed the surrounding neighborhoods to find possible witnesses to the incident that led to Jones’s death.
A resident who lives near the park, Albert Futch, said that he is not surprised about the incident because on the other side of the beautiful lake view of the park is a neighborhood that is disintegrating and rife with crime.
“The biggest thing that we need is just routine patrols. When you have cops cruise the streets, then criminals find someplace else,” said Futch.
Earlier this year, News4Jax reported that while crime had decreased overall, Jacksonville was still considered the “murder capital of Florida.”
Duval County, where Jones was found, showed a 13 percent increase in murders and a 25 percent increase in assaults between 2019 and 2020.
Jones was 9-months pregnant and expected to deliver on Oct. 8.
“I want Jacksonville to come together on this. We can’t let this go. We can’t let this slide. We need everybody to come together,” said Angelica Williams, Jones’ aunt. “This is a whole unborn baby ready to be born in two weeks. A beautiful young lady who just turned 21 this month.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover the burial expenses for Jones and her baby.
The police are encouraging anyone with helpful information to call the local Crimestoppers hotline.