Oliver Lopez, a 26-year-old African American man from Jacksonville, Florida, was killed on the night of May 26, 2026, while working a repossession job in the Brentwood area. Lopez was a tow-truck driver and the owner of Oliver Towing, a business he had reportedly operated for more than two years. That night, he went to the Sanctuary Walk apartment complex on East 21st Street, a few blocks east of Phoenix Avenue, to repossess a vehicle.
The job began as a routine recovery but quickly
turned into a confrontation. Lopez and another person who was with him located a 2013 Jeep Compass and began attaching it to the tow lift. According to reports based on police and court records, the vehicle’s owner, Rockelle Jones, came outside and demanded that Lopez put the vehicle down. When he did not stop the repossession, Jones allegedly got into the Jeep with the keys and started it. Lopez then entered the passenger side, turned the vehicle off, and removed the keys.
The dispute then moved to Lopez’s tow truck. Investigators said Jones went into the tow truck, where Lopez’s witness was still inside, and removed the keys from the ignition. Lopez and Jones began struggling over the keys until a bystander stepped in and helped Lopez get them back. Police said that while the dispute was unfolding, another person approached with a gun and fired multiple shots. Lopez was struck and left seriously wounded at the scene.
When Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers arrived, they found Lopez suffering from a gunshot wound. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue took him to a nearby hospital, where he died. Family members later identified him publicly, and relatives described him as hardworking, a loving father, a good brother, and a great friend. His death also drew attention from other tow and repossession workers, who said the job often carries serious risks, especially when vehicle owners confront drivers during late-night recoveries.
In the days after the shooting, police said the suspected shooter had not been caught. Authorities described the shooter only as a man who came outside during the argument and opened fire. Investigators had not released a suspect description and had not publicly established whether the shooter had any relationship to Jones or to the repossession dispute. Reports also said no arrest had been made for the shooting itself at that time.
One arrest was made in connection with the events leading up to Lopez’s death. Rockelle Jones, 37, was arrested on May 27, 2026, and charged with burglary. The charge stemmed from allegations that she entered Lopez’s occupied tow truck and removed the keys during the dispute over the repossession. Court records cited in reports listed her arraignment on the burglary charge for June 26, 2026, and she was reported to be in custody at the Duval County Jail after the arrest.
As of the latest available reports, Jones had not been charged with killing Lopez, and the person accused of firing the fatal shots had not been publicly identified or arrested. The case remained an active homicide investigation, with Jacksonville authorities asking anyone with information to contact police or submit a tip.
