Page 36 - Florida Sentinel 2-18-22

Crime
Police Arrest 2nd 16-Year-Old Wanted
Undercover Sting Lands 18 In Jail For Soliciting Sex Acts
For Murder
Police have arrested a 16- year-old Tampa teenager wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Sarasota. Ms. Sha’Miya Williams, also 16, was arrested last week and charged with mur- der and attempted murder.
Thamar Liafortune
turned himself in to police last Wednesday night. He is also charged with murder and attempted murder.
According to the Sarasota Police Department, the fatal shooting took place Sunday, February 6, 2022, around 4:22 p.m. Sarasota Police of- ficers responded to the 2200 block of Palmadelia Avenue, because of multiple 9-1-1 calls of shots being fired. The ini- tial investigation revealed that three juvenile victims sustained gunshot wounds.
A 17-year-old male victim was taken to Sarasota Memo- rial Hospital, where he later died. A 16-year-old male vic- tim, was shot in the hand, and a 9-year-old female vic- tim, was shot in the shoulder. They were also taken to Sara- sota Memorial Hospital for their injuries. There were six more juve- niles, ages 7, 10, 17, 13, 11, and 13, who were in the line of gunfire but fortunately did not get shot.
Several witnesses told Sarasota Police they saw two
EDUARDO ANTONIO IGLESIAS AMAYA
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has rescued a victim of human trafficking, and another potential victim, from falling into the danger- ous life of sex trafficking. Over the course of three months, detectives went un- dercover to fight the solicita- tion of minors online. In total, deputies made more than 300 contacts and ar- rested 18 people, half of which are accused of travel- ing to meet underage victims.
The investigation, named “Operation Wanderlust,” began in November 2021 with undercover detectives in the Human Trafficking Sec- tion posing online as minors.
During the online discus- sions, the suspects solicited sexual acts from detectives posing as teenagers, sent in- appropriate photographs and agreed to drive to Hillsbor- ough County in order to meet their potential victims for sex. The suspects came from all over Tampa Bay, and one even drove from Boca Raton to solicit a minor.
The individuals are facing a range of charges includ- ing attempted lewd or lasciv- ious battery, traveling to meet a minor after using computer services/devices to solicit certain illegal acts, use of computer services or de- vices to solicit certain illegal acts, transmission of harmful material to a minor, and un- lawful use of a two way com- munications device.
Hillsborough County
Sheriff Chad Chronister
said, “These suspects came from all walks of life, includ- ing Derrick McLaughlin, the principal of an elementary school in Hillsborough County.
“Another suspect, Robin
ROBIN VARGHESE
ARTHUR VOS, III
DERRICK JACKSON
O’KEITO CAMERON
the girl, detectives moved in and arrested him in his vehi- cle. Detectives found a firearm, leather paddle and condom.
“The HCSO Human Traf- ficking Squad works dili- gently to save our children from becoming vic- tims to sexual predators that use technology to hunt in the shadows of the internet. Through operations like Wanderlust, we are con- stantly taking a proactive ap- proach to finding these predators, and our efforts will not stop,” Sheriff Chronis- ter said.
Anyone with information regarding any of the suspects arrested throughout “Opera- tion Wanderlust,” or anyone who may feel they have been victimized, should call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247- 8200.
THAMAR LIAFORTUNE ... Surrendered to police
people shooting from a gold-colored sedan that came to a stop at the intersection of 22nd Street and Palmadelia Avenue. Witnesses said one of the shooters was using a rifle from the rear driver’s side door and the other shooter was using a handgun from the driver’s seat. Vic- tims on the scene told officers that the shooting incident was the result of an alterca- tion between two of the vic- tims.
Anyone with information in relationship to this case is asked to contact the Sarasota Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366- TIPS or online at www.sara- sotacrimestoppers.com.
Varghese, is known to be affiliated to his father’s church, Bethel of Brandon Pentecostal Church. No mat- ter what these suspects did for a living, they sought to take advantage of a young person in our area, which is unacceptable. We are thank- ful that these men encoun- tered our detectives online instead of a real child.”
Eduardo Antonio Igle- sias Amaya was arrested twice during the course of the operation. He was addition- ally charged with 18 counts of child porn after a search war- rant led investigators to the disturbing material on his phone.
During the operation, de- tectives were able to locate and rescue two 15- year-old girls. One had a his- tory of falling prey to commercial sex trafficking, and another was in the process of being groomed by a 41-year-old man to take part in his rape (BDSM) fan- tasies.
Arthur Vos contacted the teen using social media and on her phone. When the girl’s father found the com- munication, he contacted HCSO and the Human Traf- ficking Section took over the investigation. After Vos agreed to travel to meet
UNCLE SANDY
You are always stronger and more resourceful, 4, 16, 22, 34, 49, 54, than you give yourself credit for, 7, 18, 27, 33, 47, 60.
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