Javon James Dixon has been convicted of killing his friend, Jovin Omar Fuentes, over a $175 debt that the victim is said to have owed Dixon’s girlfriend.
On Friday, 16 Feb., Dixon was convicted on a single count of manslaughter with provocation in relation to the 1 July 2022 shooting. Dixon was acquitted of the more serious charge of murder.
This is the second time that Dixon has been on trial for the broad-daylight shooting. His first trial ended in a hung jury, after jurors were not able to reach a consensus on a charge of either murder or manslaughter.
The prosecution’s case in both trials was that Fuentes rented a car from Dixon’s partner but failed to make any payments on it. Fuentes is also said to have filled up the car at various gas stations and driven off without paying – prompting Dixon to reclaim the car.
In CCTV video, which was played before the jury at both trials, Dixon was seen approaching Fuentes over the unpaid bill, and the interaction quickly escalated.
Members of Fuentes’ family who were all traveling together, having gone to visit an ailing relative, told the court that Dixon confronted Fuentes over the unpaid bill which turned into a heated dispute.
One witness told the court that Fuentes drew a machete and threatened Dixon, who then pulled a small silver handgun from the waist of his pants and fired a single shot while retreating to his car.
That shot pierced Fuentes’ heart, killing him within minutes.
Dixon, who maintained his innocence at both trials and in the face of the verdict, claims that a Jamaican man who he only knows as ‘Blacks’ was the shooter and that he fled the scene.
Dixon has been remanded into custody and is expected to return for sentencing in April.
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