JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced an arrest in the case of a 16-year-old who was shot and killed just before New Years Eve.
19-year-old Colton Moore was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for the death of Derek Pitts.
Pitts' sister says the family will never be able to fully heal from this.
“He was just a great kid," said Theresa Pitts. "He was so funny and so loved.”
The past two months have been a wave of emotions for Pitts, as she and her family remember all the things they loved most about her brother.
The family has also had to deal with grief and anger, as week after week they waited for more details about the pool party her brother never came home from.
“It’s been torture, having no answers or clarity about the situation," said Pitts.
Pitts was found shot at an apartment complex of Old St. Augustine Road in Mandarin Dec. 29.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said they had an “influx” of Crime Stopper’s tips, which led them to arrest Colton Moore.
“It’s definitely a relief to know that, hopefully, justice will be served and someone will be held accountable for my brother’s murder, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s gone," said Pitts.
JSO says Moore was already in custody for unrelated charges when he was arrested. He made his first appearance in court on the murder charge Saturday.
The judge set no bail and pointed out the murder charge could carry a life in prison sentence during the appearance.
Pitts is hoping her brother’s death serves as a wake up call for Jacksonville teenagers.
“We want to call on the Jacksonville community to worry about gun violence and worry about these 16, 17, 18, 19 year old kids that are running the streets with guns," said Pitts.
Pitts says she doesn’t know Moore and as far as she knows, her brother didn’t know him either.
Derek would’ve just turned 17 at the beginning of this month.