PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A one-year-old girl and her unborn sibling no longer have a father after 24-year-old Mark Arbelo Jr. lost his life to gun violence this week in Putnam County.
The three Arbelo brothers worked at M.A. Rims and Tires in Crescent City, a shop their dad owns. People are putting balloons, candles and flowers outside the business to remember Mark Jr., who died in the triple shooting.
“We’re very devastated. Me and my brothers have always been very, very close," Desiree Arbelo said.
Desiree Arbelo got a call that her three brothers were missing early Tuesday morning.
“When we got to the scene and my father saw my brother’s body, he flipped," Arbelo said.
Mark Jr. died at an apartment complex along Gunby Court. Her brother Angel was wounded, and her other brother Alex is in the ICU clinging to life in critical condition.
“He’s still on life support, but he's doing a whole lot better," Arbelo said. "He’s still not functioning on his own.”
“The brothers were at a specific apartment here in Crescent City, and at some point, there was an exchange of gunfire between the brothers and our suspect, Francisco Arroyo," Maj. Steve Rose said.
Major Steve Rose with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office says police in Missouri arrested Arroyo as he was trying to flee to Mexico.
Arroyo is charged with possession of a fireman by a convicted felon, and Rose said more charges could be coming in connection to the shooting of the Arbelo brothers.
“That criminal history involved a robbery and an attempted murder that took place back in 2010 here in Putnam County," Rose said. "Unfortunately, I don’t have the details of that case, but from that case, the attempted murder charge was dropped.”
Desiree says Mark Jr. was laid back and worked hard to provide for his family.
“I think it’s completely unfair considering his criminal history that he was even put back on the streets to harm somebody else and take somebody else’s family," Arbelo said.
You can donate to the family’s GoFundMe page by clicking here. It will help pay for funeral and medical expenses for the brothers.
A vigil will be held at 8:30 p.m. at the tire shop in Crescent City.