Altamonte police arrest 4 for death of 81-y-o man

Altamonte Springs Police announced Friday they arrested four men in connection with the death of an 81-year-old man who was found beaten and cut inside his apartment earlier this week. 

Police said they were called to the apartment complex on Vineridge Run on Wednesday for a suspicious incident. Upon arrival they found Jackie Allen Hammer, 81, dead inside his apartment. Police said he had been beaten and his neck had been cut. 

That morning in Fort Lauderdale police had pulled over a car because the license plate did not match the description of the vehicle. Police said the four men inside the car appeared nervous and smelled of bleach. They discovered the car belonged to Hammer and called Altamonte Springs police to conduct a well-being check on the man. That when police discovered Hammer’s body. 

Altamonte Police also said the apartment smelled of bleach. 

The four men - Davion Shakeem Stewart, 19; Ommar Antonio Valdez, 18; Shuqui Charles-Emmanuel Gonsalves, 18; and Jay Vikrant Mehta, 21 – were taken in for questioning. 

The investigation showed that Stewart burglarized Hammer’s home but was unaware that the man was inside. Police said Stewart killed the man before leaving in Hammer’s vehicle. He later returned with the other three men in an attempt to clean the crime scene. 

Currently the four men are being held in the Broward County jail and will soon be transported to the Seminole County jail. They will be charged with murder, theft and burglary.