CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – A 22-year-old Ocala woman was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of murdering a Marion County deputy, who is her former boyfriend, according to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said 31-year-old Cory Schweitzer was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound in his home in Pine Ridge Friday afternoon.
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While Schweitzer’s death was originally believed to be a suicide, investigators eventually discovered that Schweitzer, an off-duty deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, was instead murdered, deputies said.
According to CCSO, Jacqueline Johnson-Cabrera, a 22-year-old Ocala woman and Schweitzer’s former girlfriend, was arrested Wednesday evening in connection to Schweitzer’s murder.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Schweitzer’s family, along with Sheriff Woods and the men and women of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office who knew and worked alongside Cory,” Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast said. “Investigating homicide cases are difficult enough, let alone when the victim is a fellow law enforcement officer. This case presented many unique factors and, with the arrest of Johnson-Cabrera, I hope and pray the family and colleagues can now begin the healing process.”
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods paid tribute to the deputy in a Facebook post.
“On Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, with a broken heart, I had to inform my employees about the loss of their brother, Detention Deputy Cory Schweitzer, whose life was taken from him by a cold-hearted individual...” Woods said in the post. “He left his mark on the hearts of everyone he worked with, and I ask that all of you continue to keep Cory’s family, friends and his brothers and sisters he worked alongside of in your hearts and prayers.”
Deputies said Johnson-Cabrera was detained at the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto, where she is being held without bond. She faces charges for second-degree murder.
This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with News 6 for updates.
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