Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 2-23-16 Edition

National
One Suspect Killed,
Robbery
52 Arrests Made On Gun, Drug Charges
52 Arrested On Gun Possession Charges.
Second Escapes In
Suspect Shot
Attempted Robbery At Bar
And Killed
Tampa Police were called out to the Cut Rate Liquor Store, 3312 North 15th Street, Sunday night at 10:49 p. m.
When officers arrived, they found one man dead, and were told a second escaped after they tried robbing the bar.
Police said two men entered the liquor store (known as Paul’s) wearing ski masks and hoodies. They reportedly pointed guns at the clerk, Willie Morris, 57, while de- manding money.
Police said Morris pulled out a gun and at least one of the suspects fired at him. The clerk returned fire and struck 20- year-old Cody Bolesta. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
CODY BOLESTA .....shot to death attempting to rob liquor store.
The incident is under inves- tigation, and police are actively seeking the second suspect who fled when shots were fired.
On Friday, a man who was allegedly trying to rob a woman was shot and killed in a Town ‘N Country apartment, accord- ing to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the incident occurred at 8:45 p.m. in a resi- dence in the 5700 block of Diordora Way.
Detectives said Terrance Roach, 27, had a gun and ap- proached a woman who was walking her dog.
Detectives said Roach took the woman inside her house. Another man already inside the home confronted Roach and they got into a scuffle. At some point, the gun discharged and Roach was shot in the upper body, deputies said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives don’t believe this was a random act, and they have identified a possible mo- tive, although the information is not being released at this time.
Felon Sentenced To 15 Years For Having Firearm
CEDRIC MONROE
The U. S. Attorneys Office has sentenced a man to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On December 4, 2015, Cedric Monroe, 35, pleaded guilty to the charge.
Court documents indicate Monroe sold crack cocaine and a firearm to a confidential informant in the restroom of a local restaurant. Monroe was previously convicted of several drug offenses.
More than 50 people were arrested last week during an investigation targeting illegal firearms and drugs in north- east Hillsborough County, ac- cording to authorities.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked to- gether in October to identify, investigate and prosecute sus- pects connected to gun crimes within a region of the county known as “The Box.”
Undercover detectives work- ing on 116 investigations tried to buy drugs or illegal firearms
in an attempt to get them and their sellers off the streets.
Last Wednesday, investiga- tors executed 44 state and eight federal warrants. Among the 52 suspects, there were 127 felony charges, 25 misde- meanor charges and 30 federal charges. Twelve suspects were arrested on charges of posses- sion of a firearm by a con- victed felon.
Officials said prior to the in- vestigation, ATF learned there were 26 firearm owners living in the area with three or more violent felonies on their record.
Birthday Party Turns Violent For Tampa Man, Teen
On Saturday night, St. Pe- tersburg Police reported that two people were shot after a hotel party.
The shooting occurred at the Holiday Inn Express, 2171 54th Avenue, North.
Police said during a birthday party, an argument started and someone pulled out a gun.
Octavius Brown, 19, and Demetrius Crawford, 17, were shot, police said. Brown was shot in the upper body and Crawford was shot in the hand.
Both men were hospitalized, with Brown reported to be in critical condition, and Craw- ford treated and in stable con- dition.
It was reported that the shooting suspect was not in-
OCTAVIUS BROWN
vited to the party and that may have ignited the argument.
No information has been re- leased on a suspect in the shootings.
Man Sentenced To Life For Killing Daughter, Girl’s Mother
Wrong Way Driver Charged With DUI
Early Friday, a deputy ar- rested a Tampa man after he was observed driving in the wrong direction. The incident took place at approximately 1:45 a.m.
According to police, the deputy observed a Black Dodge Avenger traveling southbound in the northbound lane on In- terstate 75. The driver was traveling 30 to 35 miles per hour. The deputy also ob- served the driver conduct an improper u-turn in the middle of the Interstate to travel in the right direction.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and reported that indicators of im- pairment from the driver. The deputy said the driver pre- sented a Florida Driver’s li- cense in the name of Kenneth Harold Wishop, of Jack- sonville, as identification.
The deputy also allegedly
LESTER ROSS
A Bartow man has been sen- tenced to life in prison for killing his 3-year-old daughter and her mother.
A judge in Polk County sen- tenced 38-year-old Lester Ross Thursday. He was con- victed in November of first-de- gree murder and aggravated manslaughter. He was looking at a possible death sentence.
Authorities found the bod- ies of Ross’ daughter Masaraha Ross, and the girls’ mother, Ronkeya Holmes, buried in a grove in Winter Haven in December 2010. Ross was arrested two years later.
Ross’ ex-wife, Sharon
MASARAHA ROSS
Uncle Sandy Says...
Change will not come 1, 5, 8, 12 if we wait for some other person or some other time. 25, 31, 34, 40 We are the ones we've been waiting for. 11, 14, 22, 29 We are the change that we seek. 39, 43, 50, 55
KENNETH WISHOP
observed an open alcoholic beverage in the center cup holder of the vehicle. Wishop, 51, was given a sobriety test, but refused to submit a sample for the breath alcohol content test.
He was taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence.
RONKEYA HOLMES
Evans, testified she drove Ross to bury the bodies in 2009 because she feared her husband would kill her if she talked to police.
PAGE 20 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016