Page 38 - Florida Sentinel 11-6-20

Crime
Early Morning Shooting Leaves 49-Year-Old Man Dead
A 49-year-old man died of his injuries after being shot in the 5500 block of N. 32nd Street.
Tampa Man Gets 30 Years On Human Trafficking Charge
An unidentified 49-year- old man died at a local hospi- tal Tuesday. He was shot earlier that morning in East Tampa.
According to the Tampa Police Department, officers were dispatched to the 5500 block of N. 32nd Street around 5 a.m., Tuesday.
When the officers arrived at the scene, they discovered
the victim was suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospi- tal, where he later died as a result of his injuries.
Detectives are asking any- one with information about the fatal shooting to contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS or on- line at www.crimestopper- stb.com.
Last week, a Hillsborough County judge sentenced a Tampa man to 30 years in prison. He was convicted of human trafficking in July 2020.
Darien Jarod Pease, Jr., 27, was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sher- iff’s Office on January 25, 2019. At the time of his ar- rest, he was facing several charges including human trafficking for commercial sexual activity with a victim under the age of 18; robbery, grand theft, tampering with a witness, possession of child pornography, and promotion of sexual performance by a child, among others.
According to evidence presented at trial, Pease re- cruited a 15-year-old victim who had run away from home. He began a sexual re-
DARIEN PEASE, JR.
lationship with her, took pic- tures, and made several videos of the two of them having sex. He then is al- leged to have solicited her for sexual activity over the inter- net.
On one occasion, he made an agreement with another man to hire the victim for sexual activity, including the
price and the sex acts she would perform. He then re- mained at the scene to en- sure the transaction took place.
During the trial where he represented himself, he filed several motions for new tri- als and used legal tactics to delay his sentencing after he was found guilty in October 2019.
State Attorney Andrew Warren said, “What hap- pened is every parent’s nightmare. We have a 25- year-old man who picked up a 15-year-old runaway on the streets, started a sexual rela- tionship with her, then started pimping her out to other Johns. This sentence sends a strong message, our community will not tolerate human trafficking or victim- izing children.”
Two Shootings Leave 3 People Injured
The shooting in the 3800 block of E. Nor- folk left two men injured.
Shooting near N. 40th Street and E. Fern
Two shootings in East Tampa has left three people injured. The shootings took place less than a mile apart and within minutes of each other.
According to the Tampa Police Department, 9-1-1 calls of shots being fired took place Tuesday night in East Tampa.
In the first shooting, offi- cers were dispatched to the 3800 block of E. Norfolk Street, around 9:14 p.m. The officers discovered that two adult men were suffering from gunshot wounds to the
upper body. The injuries were considered non-life threatening and both men were transported to a local hospital.
While officers were at the first location, a second group of officers were sent to the area just north of E. Fern Street and N. 40th Street, at 9:16 p.m. When the officers arrived, they discovered an adult woman was suffering from a gunshot to her upper body.
She was transported to a local hospital in serious con- dition, police said.
While it is early in the in- vestigation, police do not be- lieve either of the shootings were random shootings. However, detectives believe that because of the closeness and the short amount of time between the two incidents, they may be related.
Detectives are asking any witnesses to either of the shootings to contact them.
Anyone with information about the man or the robbery is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1- 800-873-TIPS or online at www.crimestopperstb.com.
PAGE 22-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2020