Cops Enforcing Beach Rules Catch Murder Suspect

Man was arrested on newly reopened Florida beach
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 20, 2020 1:40 PM CDT
Murder Suspect Caught on Reopened Florida Beach
A booking photo of Gatti provided by the Jacksonville Beach, Fla., Police Department.   (Jacksonville Beach Police Department via AP)

A man was taken away in handcuffs from a reopened Florida beach Sunday—and it wasn't for failing to respect social distancing limits. Police say Mario Matthew Gatti was wanted for a January murder in Pennsylvania, USA Today reports. The 31-year-old allegedly shot 33-year-old Michael Coover Jr. in a community near Pittsburgh on Jan. 16 while Coover was cooking dinner, reports CBS Pittsburgh. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department says officers were patrolling the beach to ensure people were complying with regulations when they spotted Gatti loitering suspiciously near some dunes and identified him as a fugitive. He faces charges including criminal homicide, burglary, making terroristic threats, and illegal possession of a firearm. (More Florida stories.)

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