NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla.(Oct. 14, 2005) -- A man who was fatally shot by police was part of a botched conspiracy with two other men to kidnap and kill a Jacksonville Jaguars cheerleader and steal her Mercedes, police said.
Police were investigating Jamie Lee Williams, 22, who was shot and killed on the beach on Oct. 11 after he pointed a gun at a Jacksonville Beach police officer, when they found out about the kidnapping plot, said Neptune Beach Police Chief David Sembach.
"Had he survived, he would have been charged also," Sembach said.
The men targeted the woman because one of them used to live in the apartment above her and knew she drove a Mercedes with a vanity tag which read, "The Roar," which is the name of the Jaguars cheerleading squad, Sembach said.
"It is pretty cold-blooded when someone wants to kill somebody to steal their car," Sembach said. Sembach said the plot was to drive the car to Miami and sell it.
The men were attempting to break into the woman's apartment the night of Oct. 10 through the window next to her air conditioning unit, Sembach said.
"They made a lot of noise, she came to investigate. She started screaming and hollering," Sembach said. He said that scared off the burglars.
About six hours later, two Jacksonville Beach police officers responded to a disturbance and pursued Williams, who was armed with a pistol, onto the beach. After he pointed his gun at police, an officer shot him in the chest and killed him.
Sembach said officers have not determined why Williams went to Jacksonville Beach, which is just south of Neptune Beach.
Andrew Krest, 23, and James Thomas, 24, were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and burglary.
They were being held in the Duval County Jail on $100,000 bond. Their next court appearance is Nov. 2. There was no information immediately available about their legal representation.
The name of the cheerleader was withheld by police.
"We're pleased she is safe and that the police are handling this situation," said Dan Edwards, a spokesman for the Jaguars.
