Road rage fistfight ends with mom killed, daughter critically hurt, Florida cops say
A case of road rage escalated from a fistfight to gunfire, leaving a woman dead and her daughter critically injured, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.
The attack happened around 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, in Panama City, and two suspects were captured after a “dangerous” chase, police said in a Feb. 24 news release.
“Upon arriving at the scene, officers found 48-year-old Georgeann Garner and her daughter, 19-year-old Marileigh Lewis, both suffering from gunshot wounds,” police said.
“Good Samaritans had already begun rendering aid before officers took over until EMS arrived. The victims were transported to a local hospital, where Ms. Garner succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival. Her daughter remains in critical condition.”
Two additional passengers were in the vehicle when shots were fired, but they escaped injury, police said.
A Dodge Ram pickup driven by 21-year-old Ivybella Encino was seen fleeing the area and led a chase along roads and through parking lots, police said.
“Due to Encino’s dangerous behavior and the severity of the shooting, officers attempted to block the vehicle to prevent further harm. Encino then rammed a PCPD patrol unit, disabling both vehicles,” police said.
“She was taken into custody without further incident. Meanwhile, her passenger, 23-year-old Jubal Simmons, fled on foot but was apprehended a short distance away.”
An investigation revealed the victims and suspects were strangers to each other when Encino and Simmons became “angry over a traffic dispute.”
The suspects began “verbally harassing the victims,” then Lewis and Encino engaged in “a brief physical altercation,” police said.
Lewis and Encino returned to their vehicles and detectives say Simmons fired 11 rounds at Lewis’ vehicle as he and Encino drove away, police said.
Shots struck both Garner and Lewis in the chest and hit “an uninvolved vehicle,” police said.
Jubal Simmons is charged with:
- Murder
- Three counts of attempted murder
- Two counts of firing into an occupied vehicle
- Discharging a firearm from a vehicle
- Tampering with evidence
- Resisting officers without violence
Ivybella Encino is charged with:
- Accessory to murder
- Aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer
- Aggravated fleeing/eluding law enforcement
- Driving while license suspended/revoked
Panama City is about a 100-mile drive east from Pensacola.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Road rage fistfight ends with mom killed, daughter critically hurt, Florida cops say."