Page 29 - Florida Sentinel 8-9-19

Crime
Man Confesses To Armed Robbery, Deadly Carjacking
Police Investigating Report Of Shooting Find Victim In Street
JAMES WILLIAM HANSON, JR.
A 39-year-old Tampa man was arrested Tuesday and is facing several charges. He is currently being held at the Hillsborough County Jail without bond.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident that ended with a murder began around 10:30 a.m., Tuesday. An armed sus- pect entered the CenterState Bank, in Valrico.
After robbing the bank, the man encountered 68- year-old Matthew Korat- tyll. He pointed a gun at Korattyll, and carjacked him. The suspect fled the scene with Korattyll inside the 2019 Lexus SUV, police said.
Deputies located and pur- sued the vehicle until the sus- pect crashed it, causing it to overturn near the intersection of S. St. Cloud Avenue and Highway 60. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as James Hanson, Jr., hit an- other vehicle, but was appre- hended.
At the time he was taken
MATTHEW KORATTYLL ... Carjacking, Murder Victim
into custody Korattyll was not inside the vehicle. Detec- tives began an exhaustive search for the missing victim.
The body of Korattyll was discovered around 4 p.m., Tuesday, outside the Sacred Heart Knanaya Catholic Com- munity Center, 2620 Wash- ington Road, in Valrico. The church is less than 5 minutes from the location where he was carjacked and kidnapped, police said.
“This is not the outcome any of our deputies hoped for after working tirelessly to lo- cate Mr. Korattyll. We com- mitted nearly 100 deputies and members of the FBI to searching for him,” Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
Hanson reportedly gave a full confession to robbing the bank and strangling Korat- tyll to death. He is charged with first-degree murder, car- jacking, grand theft of a motor vehicle, kidnapping, grand theft of a motor vehicle, re- sisting arrest with violence, and armed robbery.
One Arrested In Shootings That Left Two Men Dead
While investigating re- ports of gunfire, deputies found that a person had been shot. The victim was trans- ported to a local hospital with non-life threatening in- juries.
According to the Hills- borough County Sheriff’s Of- fice, the ShotSpotter was
activated Wednesday evening in North Tampa. Po- lice also received several 9-1- 1 calls about shots being fired in an area of Gregory Drive.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered one person had been shot. That person was located on
143rd Avenue. The victim was not being completely cooper- ative with the investigation.
However, the Eye On Crime cameras captured what is believed to be two possible suspect vehicles that had been involved in the exchange of gunfire. The in- vestigation is continuing.
Police are investigating two shootings that took place blocks apart. Two people died in the incidents.
According to the St. Pe- tersburg Police Department, the first call for help took place around 3:20 a.m., Tues- day. A woman called and said her husband had been shot while they were sleeping in- side their home in the 1000 block of 13th Avenue, South.
When police and para- medics arrived at the scene, they pronounced 34-year-old Lorenzo Brunson dead.
At approximately 4:42 a.m., that same morning, po- lice responded to a second shooting. Officers responded to the 1200 block of 10th Av- enue, South. When they ar- rived, they discovered William Gilbert, 40, in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds.
Gilbert was transported to a local hospital, where he later died as a result of his in- juries.
The investigation into the first shooting led police to 32- year-old Anthony Bridges, of St. Petersburg. Bridges was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Lorenzo Brun- son. Brunson was shot while inside his residence.
Police said Brunson and Bridges knew each other and had an argument on Monday.
ANTHONY BRIDGES
LORENZO BRUNSON
WILLIAM GILBERT
Investigators believe Bridges returned to the home and shot Brunson several times in retaliation. The investigation is continu- ing in this case.
Police do not believe the
shootings are related.
Police are asking anyone
with information to contact them at (727) 893-7780, or text anonymous tips to “SPPD” and your tip to TIP- 411.
UNCLE SANDY
Sometimes later be- comes never, 3, 16, 22, 33, 49. Do it now, 5, 19, 28, 44, 57.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-A