A woman visiting Florida who rushed into the ocean to help a struggling swimmer later learned the man she assisted was wanted in connection with a double homicide, according to authorities and local reports [1].
The incident unfolded the morning of March 24 near Riomar Beach in Vero Beach. The woman, identified only as Belinda, told WPBF she was walking along the shoreline when she heard a man yelling for help in the water.
She entered the ocean and attempted to guide him safely back to shore.
Jesse Scott Ellis Caught His Wife Cheating in the Parking Lot With Her Married Co-Worker and Pulled Out the AR-15 https://t.co/7m1NOdMksQ [2]
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) March 28, 2026 [3]
“So, he got on his back, and he said, ‘I’m exhausted, I’m tired,’ and I said, ‘Do it! Get on your back and let the waves carry you, you can do it, come on,’” Belinda said.
According to Belinda, the man made a statement that stood out during the encounter.
“He said he was ‘going to take a long vacation,’” she told the outlet.
Police later identified the man as 64-year-old Jesse Scott Ellis, who is wanted in connection with a double homicide earlier that same morning.
Authorities allege Ellis fatally shot his wife of 13 years, Stacie Ellis Mason, and her colleague, Danny Ooley, 56, in the parking lot of the Indian River County Main Library in Vero Beach.
Officials with the Vero Beach Police Department said the shooting occurred around 7 a.m. Investigators believe Mason and Ooley, both employees of Indian River County government, had been involved in a relationship.
According to Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey, security footage shows Mason arriving at the library and getting into Ooley’s vehicle.
Ellis then arrived in the parking lot armed with an AR-15-style rifle and fired multiple shots into the vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Authorities said that sometime after the shooting, a man matching Ellis’ description was seen walking into the ocean at a nearby beach while fully clothed.
Responders were initially called but left after the man declined assistance and provided a name that investigators later determined was false.
In a subsequent search, officers located Ellis’ truck at South Beach Park. Inside the vehicle, investigators found wet clothing, an empty holster, and a .380-caliber magazine, according to police.
Chief Currey also said officers recovered documents indicating Ellis may have intended to take his own life. Some of the writings were described as “pages long, dating back to early March,” detailing personal struggles.
“His pain, wanting to crawl in a hole, can’t eat, can’t drink, can’t sleep, that kind of thing,” Currey said.
As of Monday evening, Ellis had not been located, and authorities continue to search the area.
Law enforcement officials have advised residents to expect an increased police presence as the investigation remains active. It remains unclear whether Ellis may have died in the ocean.
Ellis is wanted on two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, a capital felony.
Belinda said that despite learning of the allegations against the man she helped, she would not have acted differently in the moment, though she said she would have contacted authorities immediately if she had known his identity.
“I could not leave him in the water no matter what,” she said. “Everybody is going through something.”
Authorities continue to investigate the case as search efforts for Ellis remain ongoing.