Port St. John Man Indicted for First-Degree Murder in Girlfriend’s Shooting Death
By Space Coast Daily // December 11, 2025
Lendzi Lakeman, 28, was shot to death Nov. 16
Tyjah John Bellinger, 23, initially claimed the shooting had been an accident
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — A Port St. John man has been arrested and formally indicted of first-degree premeditated murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, a deadly confrontation investigators say erupted during a domestic dispute in mid-November.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office announced that 23-year-old Tyjah John Bellinger was taken into custody after detectives secured a warrant linking him to the killing of 28-year-old Lendzi Lakeman.
The shooting occurred around 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, at a residence in the 7100 block of Carlowe Avenue.
Deputies rushed to the neighborhood after several 911 callers reported gunfire.
Upon arrival, they found Lakeman inside the home’s open garage suffering from numerous gunshot wounds. Despite immediate attempts by first responders to save her life, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bellinger initially claimed the shooting had been an accident, telling deputies he tripped and unintentionally fired an AR-style pistol multiple times. But investigators quickly determined the evidence did not support that story.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, a witness reported hearing three gunshots before seeing Bellinger fire additional rounds inside the garage and then flee in a blue Kia.
Detectives later concluded that Bellinger fired 12 rounds in total, leaving shell casings scattered throughout the garage and driveway. Lakeman sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her chest.
Homicide agents also learned the couple had been arguing earlier in the day about Christmas gifts for Bellinger’s daughter from another relationship. Bellinger told deputies that Lakeman was pregnant with his child at the time of the shooting.
After searching multiple locations where Bellinger was believed to be hiding, deputies found him at a home on Dallas Avenue in Port St. John. He was arrested without incident, and investigators recovered the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting from his vehicle.
A Brevard County grand jury returned a formal indictment for first-degree premeditated murder on Dec. 10. Bellinger remains behind bars at the Brevard County Jail Complex without bond.
Sheriff’s homicide agents and crime scene technicians continue to interview witnesses and analyze evidence as they work to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to Lakeman’s death.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Agent Kevin Morris of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at 321-633-8413. For media inquiries, contact PIO Tod Goodyear at 321-501-7594.
