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Photos courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol

FHP searching for suspect who carjacked Groveland man on I-75

Groveland, Inside Scoop / By

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla.— The Florida Highway Patrol is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a man who carjacked a Groveland man on Interstate 75 early Friday morning.

Around 2 a.m. Friday, a 38-year-old-old Groveland man, working as a supervisor for American Medical Response (AMR,) found a crashed pickup truck on the southbound I-75 exit ramp to westbound Interstate 4. The truck was later found to be stolen, according to FHP.

The Groveland man encountered a man who immediately fled on foot and then saw a second man standing in the road. The second man then jumped on the side of the of the AMR Chevrolet Tahoe the Groveland man was driving and climbed into the Tahoe. The Groveland man was able to open a door and escape, FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins said in a press release.

The suspect fled in the Tahoe, sideswiped a Nissan Altima on the ramp and continued on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted the Tahoe and chased him, but he evaded capture. A camera system in the vehicle alerted AMR that the Tahoe had crashed at 3720 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard, Tampa and the suspect fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, abandoning the Tahoe.

If you have information on the suspect’s identity, call *FHP.

See videos of the suspect below. Courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol 

 

 

 

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Clermont Police Bust Tampa Man with “Blatantly Counterfeit” $100 Bills

Clermont, Inside Scoop / By

CLERMONT, Fla.—A man wanted in Tennessee for passing counterfeit money and already on probation in Hillsborough County, was arrested Tuesday, along with a teenager, after Clermont Police Department found him with counterfeit $100 bills, according to an arrest affidavit.

Shortly before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, CPD responded to Advance Discount Auto Parts, 2655 East Highway 50, on a report of people passing counterfeit bills. The caller described one of the suspects, the affidavit states.

About 20 minutes later, members of CPD’s Crime Suppression Unit spotted a white Nissan pull into the parking lot of Auto Zone, 200 West Highway 50, bypass several parking spots in front of the building and park on the side, out of view, the arresting officer noted in the affidavit.

A CPD sergeant watched the vehicle from an unmarked unit and witnessed a total of three individuals exit the car and enter the store and one suspect returned to the car. Each individual made the trip alone, and one of the individuals matched the description of the suspect in the original call, according to the affidavit.

CPD approached the lone individual in the car and identified her as a juvenile female; her name was not released. Officers entered Auto Zone and found Malik Shamari Jones, 20, of Tampa, trying to leave the store with some items and the second individual, identified as Norvis Jerimane Heflin, 17, also of Tampa, was standing at the register, according to the affidavit.

Jones initially resisted and when a sergeant drew his taser, Jones complied and went to the ground and Heflin complied when he was ordered to the ground. Jones was searched and found with a $100 counterfeit bill in his wallet and Auto Zone employees said Jones and the juvenile female used a total of six counterfeit $100 bills to purchase items. CPD took possession of those bills that were “blatantly counterfeit.”

Heflin was still standing in line when police entered the building, but he was found in possession of two counterfeit bills and arrested for that; he was also arrested for uttering forged instruments and petit theft for the incident at Advance Discount Auto Parts. He was turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

While detaining the juvenile female who was found in the Nissan, police smelled marijuana and upon searching the car, they found more counterfeit bills and receipts from other businesses. Jones was arrested for four counts of uttering forged bills, resisting without violence, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child and petit theft. He is being held on no bond due to being on probation in Hillsborough County. He likely will not be extradited to Tennessee because the warrants states Tennessee will extradite only within a 250-mile radius.

Clermont Police Bust Tampa Man with “Blatantly Counterfeit” $100 Bills Read More »

2 Tampa Men Nabbed for Leesburg Gas Station Robbery Monday

Inside Scoop, Leesburg, Unincorporated Lake / By

Update: 7:05 p.m.  A previous version of this story stated the suspects’ bond was set at $52,000. At 5:32 p.m. and 5:33 p.m., their bond status was updated to no bond. 

LEESBURG, Florida—Two Tampa men found hiding under a blanket behind a washer and dryer in the carport of a Leesburg home have been arrested for robbing a gas station Monday morning of numerous cartons of cigarettes and vapes, according to their arrest affidavits.

Tyreece Freeman Jr., 22 and Jahiem Vonzell Comer, 21, both of Tampa, were found by Leesburg Police Department after a complaint of a suspicious person led them to the pair hiding in the carport.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to an armed robbery around 4 a.m. Monday after a 9-1-1 caller reported Circle K, 10030 County Road 44 in unincorporated Leesburg had just been robbed. As deputies responded, a white Chevrolet Malibu fled past them headed westbound on County Road 44 into Leesburg city limits. Deputies attempted to catch up to the Malibu but were unsuccessful and around 4:30 a.m. Leesburg Police Department found the car abandoned, the affidavit states.

Soon after, LPD received a complaint of a suspicious person about a block away from where the Malibu was found, and Freeman and Comer were taken into custody. The duo offered the homeowner $20 not to call police, a detective noted in the affidavit. Two pairs of shoes were found near them, and one pair was orange, yellow, black and white and matched the description of shoes worn by one of the robbers and an employee of the gas station later positively identified the shoes. Two of the suspects in the robbery are still on the run.

Courtesy photo

The victim told LCSO four tall, black males wearing masks entered the store at the corner of County Road 44 and County Road 473 and one indicated he had a gun in his jacket pocket, confirmed when the victim saw a magazine base plate and the bottom of a pistol grip in his pocket. The victim complied and the suspects began to fill trash cans from the store with numerous cartons of cigarettes and vapes and then fled. Two empty trash cans were later found at the scene of the robbery and the loot from the robbery was found in the abandoned Malibu, along with masks, according to the affidavit.

Freeman and Comer were both arrested for armed robbery by LCSO and trespassing by LPD. They are each being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.

Previous stories

2 Suspects Located Following Incident at Unincorporated Leesburg Gas Station – Inside Lake

LCSO Investigating Armed Robbery at Gas Station in Unincorporated Leesburg – Inside Lake

 

2 Tampa Men Nabbed for Leesburg Gas Station Robbery Monday Read More »

File photo

Burglar Killed by Resident After Breaking into Lady Lake Home

Inside Scoop, Lady Lake / By

LADY LAKE, Florida—A burglar is dead after being shot by a resident of a home he broke into, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

Ryan Michael Baldasare, 36, of Tampa, crawled through a window of a home on Lakeview Street in Lady Lake and was shot by a resident around 5:30 p.m. Monday. He was pronounced dead at the scene, LCSO Lt. Fred Jones said.

According to the 9-1-1 call, Baldasare forcefully entered the home through the window, where he was confronted by the resident and shot. The resident is cooperating with investigators and the incident appears to be self defense, Jones said. The case remains under investigation.

Baldasare was arrested in Lake County in July for battery, possession of methamphetamine and disorderly intoxication by Lady Lake Police Department. He was also picked up for failure to appear in Hillsborough County for criminal mischief and trespass.

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