Page 43 - Florida Sentinel 7-2-21

Crime
Five Teenagers Charged With Theft Of Gun From Car
Man Who Poured
Bleach On Rape
Victim Gets ‘Life’
TGYER WOODS
Five teenagers were taken into custody and charged with several crimes. The teenagers ranged in age from 15 to 18, and all of them were from St. Petersburg.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the teenagers were arrested min- utes after stealing a Glock 9mm handgun from a vehicle in Davenport on Friday, June 25, 2021.
The teens arrived in Polk County driving a truck stolen out of Pinellas County. The stolen truck also had mari- juana in it, which the sus- pects are being charged with possessing.
Around 2:20 p.m. that af- ternoon, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a 9- 1-1 call from a man on Ab- erdeen Avenue whose pickup truck had just been burglar- ized. A witness told the vic- tim that he saw a black Dodge Ram pull up next to the victim’s truck, and a Black male get out of the pas- senger seat, enter the truck, and take something from within.
The victim discovered his firearm missing from the center console, and dialed 9- 1-1.
Deputies responded to the area, observed a black Dodge Ram heading westbound on Ronald Reagan Parkway and conducted a traffic stop. At that point, Jakeiron Allen, who was riding in the back- seat, exited and fled on foot. The driver and three other occupants stayed inside the Dodge, and were taken into custody without incident.
The suspect who stole the gun, was positively identified as Tgyer Woods, but deputies quickly realized that
JAKEIRON ALLEN
MICHAEL OWENS
the stolen gun was with
Allen.
The Dodge Ram was con- firmed stolen out of Pinellas County, and a search of the truck revealed two baggies that tested positive for mari- juana.
While fleeing, Allen en- tered a construction zone and attempted to carjack a vehi- cle. The carjacking victim pulled Allen out of his vehi- cle, at which time Allen pointed the firearm at the victim before running away and jumping a fence.
Allen ended up in the parking lot of a fire station, where he was confronted by a firefighter who ordered him to stop. The firefighter heard the carjacking victim and others yelling “he’s got a gun,” as Allen began fum- bling with something in his hoodie pocket.
The firefighter retreated, in fear Allen would use the gun. Allen was later located and apprehended.
They are facing the fol- lowing charges:
Tyger Woods, 18, was charged with armed bur- glary; grand theft of a motor vehicle; grand theft of a firearm; conspiracy to com- mit burglary; 4 counts con-
JAYVION MCLAURIN
LONNIE MOZELL
tributing to the delinquency of a minor; possession of marijuana; and possession of paraphernalia.
Jakeiron Allen, 17, was charged with armed bur- glary; aggravated assault on a firefighter; attempted car- jacking; grand theft of a motor vehicle; grand theft of a firearm; conspiracy to com- mit burglary; 4 counts con- tributing to the delinquency of a minor; violation of pro- bation; 4 counts resisting ar- rest; possession of marijuana; and possession of paraphernalia.
Jayvion McLaurin, 16, was charged with armed bur- glary; grand theft of a motor vehicle; conspiracy to com- mit burglary; possession of marijuana; and possession of paraphernalia.
Michael Owens, 15, was charged with armed bur- glary; grand theft of a motor vehicle; conspiracy to com- mit burglary; possession of marijuana; and possession of paraphernalia.
Lonnie Mozell, 16, was charged with armed bur- glary; grand theft of a motor vehicle; conspiracy to com- mit burglary; possession of marijuana; and possession of paraphernalia.
A 43-year-old man was convicted on June 4th, of sex- ually battering a 10-year-old child and then pouring bleach on her genitals. He was given a life sentence on Monday afternoon.
Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Fernandez sen- tenced Lewis Matthews, of Tampa, to life in prison for - sexual battery on a victim younger than 12, life in prison; two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim younger than 12, 25 years for each charge; and tampering with physical evi- dence, 5 years in prison. The sentences will run concur- rently and Matthews will spend the remainder of his life in prison.
According to court docu- mentation, at 3:30 a.m. on April 13, 2019, the 10-year- old victim was sleeping on the floor in her living room. Matthews was visiting the home; he had been dating the victim’s mother for sev- eral years and was like a stepfather to her.
Matthews approached the victim as she slept. He undressed her and then pro- ceeded to molest and sexu- ally batter her. The victim’s mother heard a noise and came downstairs. Stunned by what she discovered, the victim’s mother called 9-1-1.
As the victim’s mother was talking with a 9-1-1 dis- patcher, Matthews quickly took the young victim and the two other children in the home and put them in the car. The victim’s mother screamed for them not to go, but Matthews drove off.
Matthews headed to a nearby gas station and took the victim inside the store. He directed her to go into the bathroom. Matthews went down the aisle, picked up a bottle of Clorox bleach, and joined the victim in the bathroom. Inside the bath- room, Matthews ordered the victim to remove her pants and underwear. He then splashed caustic bleach
LEWIS MATTHEWS ... Sentenced to life in prison
onto her genitals. Matthews took the victim’s underwear and threw them into a dumpster behind the store.
Matthews’ criminal at- tempt to destroy DNA evi- dence failed. Investigators from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office were able to locate Matthews’ DNA on the bleach-stained underwear, as well as the victim’s body, and other clothing.
Attorney Andrew Warren, Hillsborough County State Attorney said, “It’s heartbreaking to sit in court and watch a vic- tim, who has been sexually abused by someone who is supposed to be caring for her, testify on the stand. That’s why I’m so proud of the work that our prosecu- tors do to hold these offend- ers accountable, stand up for the victims, and send these predators away for life.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attor- neys Melissa Grajales, a member of the State Attor- ney’s Office Special Victims Unit, and Kathryn Bonti. The trial lasted 3 days.
Attorney Warren fur- ther said, “Parents who are sexually abusing kids in their custody — it makes your blood boil. That’s why we’re aggressively prosecuting cases like these. And that’s why these people deserve to spend the rest of their lives in prison.”
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