Woman, 23, faces murder charges after she lured “Date” into a robbery with dating app BLK, who then shot her brother in self-defense.
- Tat’yana Mekeva Gaston used the dating app BLK to find the victim of an attempted robbery
- But when Gaston’s brother rushed to steal the man, he fatally shot him
- Jermon Kennard, 18, died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest
- Gaston faces a murder trial under the new FL law involving anyone involved in crimes
A woman is accused of murdering her teenage brother after her plan to rob a man ends in him shooting the boy.
Tat’yana Mekeva Gaston, 23, tumbled the unnamed 31-year-old on dating app BLK with plans to meet on Friday, May 31 at the Kain Palms Apartments, Tampa.
Her younger brother Jermon Kennard, 18, was waiting there with a knife.
Tat’yana Mekeva Gaston, 23, was arrested Friday for her involvement in the May 31 shooting
But the “date,” who had been hooked and expected to meet a 22-year-old named Jada, shot Jermon in self-defense.
Under a new Florida law, Gaston has been charged with her brother’s murder, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Under Part 782.04 of Title XLVI, enacted in 2021, suspects may be charged with second-degree murder in the event of death during the commission or attempted commission of a felony in which they are involved.
As Kennard’s accomplice in the attempted robbery that claimed his life, Gaston can therefore be criminally held responsible for his death.
The list of possible crimes that a second-degree accomplice can be charged with murder includes arson, burglary, auto theft, kidnapping, robbery, or drug dealing.
The teenager, who wore a mask, died from gunshot wounds to the chest and head.
He had turned 18 in April and was finishing his senior year at the Carver Exceptional Center in northeast Tampa.
Tat’yana Gaston (left) has been charged with the murder of her younger brother Jermon (right), though she did not kill him. She lied to the police about her intention to rob her 31-year-old “date”.
Big sister Gaston lied to police that she thought her brother would sell man an iPhone.
She claimed there was no planned robbery, the Hillsborough County Sheriff said.
But police found that she had texted Jarmon telling him to come outside in preparation for the robbery.
In Florida, second-degree murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, life probation, and a fine of not more than $10,000.
The Kain Palms apartment complex in Tampa, FL was the scene of Kennard’s self-defense shot
Gaston fished her 31-year date with dating app BLK, where she posed as “Jada,” 22
The Florida books also state that a person who uses a firearm to commit second-degree murder faces a minimum sentence of 25 years behind bars.
Gaston was released on $15,000 bail.
Jermon’s obituary states, “He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”
His funeral will take place tomorrow (June 10).
What is Florida’s Unpremeditated Murder Law for Accomplices?
Title XLVI Part 782.04, enacted in 2021, states that second-degree murder “may be committed by any person engaged in the commission, or attempted commission, of” a long list of crimes in which a person is accidentally killed .
They include:
- arson
- drug trafficking
- sexual battery
- robbery
- Burglary
- kidnapping
- Severe child abuse
- aircraft piracy
- carjacking
- terrorism
- human trafficking
Rahul Parikh of the Florida Trial Lawyers said: “If the defendant or another criminal participant in the crime caused the wrongful death, state law requires a charge of first-degree murder, not second-degree murder.
“Florida is using these laws to curb accidental deaths as a result of criminal activity.”
Second-degree murder in Florida carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, life probation, and a fine of not more than $10,000.
Florida has the death penalty – but only for first-degree murder.
Since 2017, a jury must unanimously recommend the death penalty before a judge can implement it.