Page 33 - Florida Sentinel 12-27-19

Crime
Man Convicted In 30-Year-Old ‘Cold Case’ Sexual Battery
Deputies Search
A 60-year-old Tampa man was found guilty following a jury trial last week. He was convicted of a sexual battery that took place 30 years ago.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, on November 15, 1988, a young mother had fallen asleep on the sofa in her home. She was awak- ened by an unidentified suspect in the middle of the night. The man had armed himself with a knife taken from the victim’s kitchen.
The suspect threatened to stab her son if she resisted. After sexually battering the woman twice, the suspect fled the scene.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they located the knife the suspect used to threaten the vic- tim. The victim underwent a sex- ual battery examination and
launched a purge of its backlog of sexual battery kits. This case was reviewed and a DNA profile was identified from the rape kit.
Detectives re-opened the case and identified Phillip Coward, whose DNA profile matched that of the sexual bat- tery suspect. The victim did not know the suspect.
On June 11, 2018, detectives arrested Coward, now 60 years old, and charged him with two counts of sexual battery with a weapon. He was found guilty of the crime during his trial on De- cember 18, 2019. He is sched- uled to be sentenced on February 13, 2020.
Robbery Suspect
PHILLIP COWARD
... Waiting to be sentenced
DNA was obtained.
The case eventually went
cold after police received no ad- ditional information about the suspect.
In 2017, the Florida Depart- ment of Law Enforcement
Man Arrested
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is trying to iden- tify a suspect who robbed a Cir- cle K Sunday morning.
On December 22, 2019, at 4:37 a.m., a Black man, about 5’ 7” inches, with a medium build, parked just east of Circle K, 6501 Hillsborough Avenue West, ex- ited a white four-door sedan and walked over to the Circle K.
Once inside, the suspect dis- played a black handgun, pointed it at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed cash over to the suspect and the sus- pect left the store. The investiga- tion is continuing.
Anyone who has informa-
ROBBERY SUSPECT
tion on the suspect, or this case, is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.
For Armed
Two Men Wanted For Credit Card Fraud
CREDIT CARD SUSPECT
For Burglarizing
Deputies Investigate Explosion At ATM Machine
P.O. Boxes At
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is searching for two men who fraudulently used the complainant’s credit card at two different locations.
On November 27, 2019, the suspects went to the Sam’s Club, 15835 Dale Mabry Highway North, and charged $278.24 to the victim’s credit card. They also used it at a Walgreens, charging an additional $203.25 to the card during that transac- tion.
One suspect is described as being white, 5’9,” and weighing
about 165 pounds. He is about 50 years old with a tan complex- ion and a thin build.
The second suspect is a white man, 5’10,” and weighing about 155 pounds. He is between the ages of 50 and 55, has a fair com- plexion and a medium build.
Anyone who recognizes the suspects is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office by calling 813-247-8200 or to be eligible for a cash re- ward, contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).
ATM SUSPECT
at a BB&T Bank in Oldsmar. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating that inci- dent, police said.
The investigation is continu- ing.
USPS Locations
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an ATM explosion that occurred early Sunday morning. It took place at the Pilot Bank, 12471 W. Linebaugh Avenue.
According to police, at 3:11 a.m., December 22, 2019, a male suspect spray painted the exte- rior video surveillance cameras black, including the drive-up ATM camera. Later, at 4:25 a.m., there was an explosion from the ATM.
The suspect was unable to gain access to the ATM’s inter- nal safe, so no money was taken from it.
The incident is similar to one that occurred November 4
After sev-
eral months of
investigation,
Hillsborough
County Sher-
iff’s Office has
arrested a man
and charged
him with
breaking into P.
O. boxes at SHOCKLEY USPS locations.
The burglaries occurred at various locations in the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.
According to police, Do- minick Shockley, 28, had been on the run and had evaded arrest since November. On December 18, deputies located and appre- hended Shockley as he was trav- eling as a passenger of a vehicle. Evidence of the burglaries was found in the car, as well as methamphetamine.
He was charged with posses- sion of methamphetamine and four counts of burglary and theft. Items targeted in the bur- glaries included mail, checks and individuals’ personal information.
USPS locations Shockley tar- geted were: 405 S. Dale Mabry Highway (City of Tampa); 12652 Dale Mabry Highway N (Hillsbor- ough County); and 14910 Dale Mabry Highway N. (Hillsborough County).
The investigation is continu- ing.
DOMINICK
UNCLE SANDY
Your worth consists in what you are 3, 12, 27, 39, 51 and not in what you have 9, 21, 34, 47, 52.
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