JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — An arrest has been made and a victim has been identified after a man was found stabbed under the Jacksonville Beach Pier on Wednesday night.
Dennis Darwin Perry, 60, was arrested for premeditated first-degree murder in the case, according to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.
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The victim’s family has been notified and he has been identified as 38-year-old Stephen James Beegle, JBPD said.
A peaceful and picturesque Thursday morning in Jacksonville Beach saw people strolling in the sand, seemingly unaware of a grim reality – a man was found stabbed to death underneath the pier Wednesday night.
But it’s a scene that stays with Armando Rodriguez, who said he found the man’s body after seeing him in a fight earlier that night involving a knife.
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“I saw the knife, saw a knife pulled out. It was sheathed after I left,” Rodriguez said. “The blade on it must’ve been at least that big.”
Rodriguez said it’s unclear who drew the knife first, and he tried to de-escalate the fight before leaving to visit a friend.
Rodriguez said he then returned to the beach at least 15 minutes later and found the man dead.
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“So it was about 6:45, and I came walking across the pier, and I saw a guy there on the floor,” Rodriguez said. “I saw the body and I was like ‘hey — touching your body like I’m touching you right now — hey hey.’ And eventually, I was like ‘hey’ ...no movement, respond, no response.”
Rodriguez said he later called the police. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department said it was dispatched to the scene at 9:52 p.m. on Wednesday and pronounced the man dead.
Nearby restaurant worker Dominic Aramayo was in the area when first responders arrived.
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“I was just rolling sushi and then the next thing I seen was like eight cop cars coming out of nowhere. Fire trucks and ambulance coming out of nowhere, didn’t know what was going on,” Aramayo said.
Police say the investigation is in its early stages.
While the death investigation continues, police did say there isn’t a threat to the public.
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