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‘Man with anger issues’: Ex-girlfriend, former roommate describe suspect in deadly attack inside Kroger

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) –The suspect in a Friday night homicide at a south side Kroger is being described by his ex-girlfriend and former roommate as a man with anger issues.

Court documents state the suspect got on top of another man in the dairy aisle and stabbed him in the chest. Witnesses then heard multiple gunshots.

Police arrested 37-year-old Jason Cooper for the murder of 43-year-old Carlos Castro.

Ammon Sturgeon says Cooper lived in his home for more than a year.

“It’s something I did not expect to happen,” Sturgeon said of the crime. “I’ll tell you that.”

Sturgeon said he saw Cooper early last week, when Cooper came by his house.

“He seemed out of it,” Sturgeon said. “Like he was not in a good place.”

Officers said Cooper stole a woman’s car from the Kroger parking lot after the murder, and detectives found a bloody gun in the car after they caught up to Cooper. A family member of the murder victim tells 24-Hour News 8 the victim did not know Cooper.

Sturgeon said he kicked Cooper out of his home about three months ago. He describes Cooper as a man with anger issues — a paranoid person who accused Sturgeon of sleeping with his girlfriend.

Cooper is also a sex offender, convicted in 2002 of sexual misconduct with a minor, online records show.

“I let him stay at my house and everything, and he just started accusing me of stuff,” Sturgeon said.

Cooper’s ex-girlfriend, who asked to remain anonymous, said she broke up with him about a month ago because of his drug addiction.

She said he seemed high when he showed up at her home Friday morning, asking to see their child. She said her parents told Cooper to leave around noon that day.

“When he was living with me, we didn’t have any drug issues or anything. So I don’t know,” Sturgeon said.

Court documents state Cooper appeared nervous when police caught him, twitching and speaking fast.

Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges, but Cooper is scheduled for an initial hearing on Oct. 23.

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