Arrest made in 2015 shooting death of teenager

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - St. Petersburg Police have made an arrest in the 2015 shooting death of a teenager.

Lennie Acostas was killed near his home on Langdon Avenue in St. Petersburg. Now, police say 26-year-old Jesse Greene was involved in the robbery that led to Acostas' death.

"I had been sad, I have been moping, there have been times I had given up," said his mother, Taina Rivera.

But after Acostas' friends held vigils and marches, tips came in and clues led detectives to 26-year-old Jesse Greene.

Rivera got a call just after eight on Wednesday morning from police. Her son's death had been solved.

"I am just happy. I am just happy," Rivera said. "We got justice, babe. We got justice."

Detectives have not said publicly why Acostas was targeted, or whether Greene was even the shooter.

All they'll say is, he was involved in the plot to rob him.

"Especially with a murder case, you have one shot and one shot only to try this, so you have to make sure all the pieces of the puzzle fit together," said Rick Shaw of the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Acostas' mother is preparing for court and had stern words for Greene.

"I will never get to be a grandma, I will never see my son graduate, there are a lot of things you cut me short of," she said.

Rivera was very thankful to St. Pete PD for sticking with the case, especially because she called detectives very often for updates. She says it was a matter of speaking up for her son.

"I love you, Lennie boy," she said. "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, my whole entire life. I love him more than I love myself."

The case is still open and police are hoping for even more tips now that an arrest has been made. They will not say if they believe more are involved.