ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg police have identified the person found dead Thursday in Lake Maggiore.
- Mother of Lake Maggiore Lake victim speaks out
- Police ID'd body as 16-year-old Jarvis Deliford
- Awaiting autopsy results for official cause of death
Police said the body has been identified as 16-year-old Jarvis Deliford.
“I’m just lost for words. Speechless. Hurt.”
LaPorsha Smalls says the news of her brother’s death has left the entire family a mess.
“I can’t ease my momma’s heart but I can at least try,” said Smalls.
They learned Friday that 16 year-old Jarvis Deliford was the young man found in Lake Maggiore on July 4th surrounded by several alligators.
Police say they aren’t sure how he wound up in the lake or how he died.
They say Deliford was released from a juvenile detention center on June 29th for charges related to burglary.
When he returned home, he removed his ankle monitor, and police were immediately notified.
But now, they are trying to piece together what happened after that, which led to his death.
“We are able to say there have no been any signs of homicidal violence but we still have to wait for the official report,” said Lt. Matthew Furse with the St. Petersburg Police Department.
But Smalls disagrees, saying he never spent time at the lake.
“Somebody killed my brother. My brother, Jarvis, is not an ordinary child. Jarvis don’t go to no beaches, he don’t even play around water because he don’t know how to swim,” said Smalls.
Police say the FWC trapped two gators on Thursday to look for further evidence, but would not comment on whether any evidence was found.
They did say, however, they believe Deliford died at least a day before his body was found.
At the time of the discovery of the body on July 4, police initially said an alligator was near the body.
"There are signs of alligator involvement," police said in a statement. "Although, due to the condition of the body, it's too soon to know the cause of death."
Anyone with information on his whereabouts during or after the night of June 29th is asked to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The family tells us Deliford did not have insurance and they need help paying for his funeral.
They are working on setting up a GoFundMe page for anyone who would like to donate.
(Photo of 16-year-old Jarvis Deliford)
