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In a dramatic twist of events, a Jacksonville man who was already incarcerated on a molestation charge is now facing additional accusations of being involved in a deadly attempted armed robbery. The incident, which dates back to 2025, has once again put the spotlight on the complexities of Florida’s legal system.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Wednesday, authorities added a murder charge to Damon Thomas, 45, who was conveniently located in jail at the time of his arrest. This charge relates to an attempted robbery on Baymeadows Road, carried out alongside 32-year-old Rhoderius Simmons, which ended tragically.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reports that during the robbery attempt in November, an exchange of gunfire took place between Simmons and the business owner. This confrontation led to Simmons being fatally shot in the parking lot, while Thomas managed to flee the scene.
Florida law permits charging a suspect with murder if a cohort dies or causes a death during a felony. Accordingly, in addition to murder, Thomas is facing several other charges, including attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and attempted armed robbery.
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.