Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 1-10-17 Online Edition

2016 Homicides In Review
2016 Violent Deaths Include Police Shootings, Stand Your Ground, And Robbery-Gone-Bad Cases
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In looking back over 2016 and the violent deaths that took place, the Sentinel learned that 61 people died violent deaths. Tampa Police investigated 28 of the deaths, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated 27 cases, Plant City Police detectives investigated 5 murders and Temple Terrace Police investigated 2.
Law enforcement closed out the year with 18 unsolved murders. In 2015, there were 60 murders, 32 unsolved at the end of the year. However, other cases from 2015 were cleared in 2016.
Some cases involved po- lice shootings, others were the result of crimes that went awry, and others were re- viewed by the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Of- fice and no charges were filed.
In other cases, law en- forcement identified sus- pects and issued warrants for their arrests.
The following is the breakdown by month of those violent deaths and the agencies that investigated them.
JANUARY
The first violent death of the year took place in the City of Tampa on January 11th. Twenty-two-year-old An- thone Bryant was fatally in- jured by a clerk at the Hope Store, corner of N. 22nd Street and E. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. The case was referred to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office. The Tampa Police Department investi- gated the case.
On January 23rd, the body of Reginald Horace Brown, 36, was discovered inside a residence in Plant City; that case remains open and under investigation.
FEBRUARY
On February 1st, Jose Cazares, 31, died after being stabbed. The murder took place at 3607 W. Baker Street, Apt. B, and the case is actively being investigated by the Plant
City Police Department.
Shannon Underwood,
31, died on February 5th. The Tampa Police Department ar- rested Dannie Lee Mathis, 45, in connection with the fatal stabbing.
The following day, Tampa Police investigated a double homicide at Club Rayne, 8123 N. Nebraska Avenue. Marvin Douglass Lancaster, 21, and Christopher Houston, 20, died. The shooter has not been arrested.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to 2910 Sycamore Court in re- sponse to a shooting. Upon their arrival they discovered Michael Liroy Funetes- Fuentes, 30, was fatally in- jured. Jeffra Jetziel, De Jesus Cirino, 20, was ar- rested and charged with sec- ond-degree murder..
Deputies responded to a double shooting on February 14th. Rafael Salvi, 25, died of his injuries and Leonard Denis 26, recovered. Ismael Luis Ortiz, 28, was charged with second-degree murder.
Terrance Roach, Jr.,
27, was shot by an unidentified man after he allegedly forced a woman into an apartment. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and it was referred.
Manuel Ortiz, Jr., 28, died on February 20th, during a shooting that injured 4 oth- ers. The case was referred to
Hillsborough County State At- torney’s Office.
The Tampa Police Depart- ment responded to an at- tempted robbery at Paul’s Liquor Store, 3312 N. 15th Street. Two armed suspects at- tempted to rob the store. The clerk and suspects exchanged gunfire, hitting Hispanic male Cody Bolesta, 20, who was struck by gunfire and died at the scene. The second suspect remains at large.
MARCH
Jarmaal Rumlin, 27,
died of gunshot wounds on March 2nd. Tampa Police in- vestigated the death. Ronald Hamilton was charged with committing the crime.
Tampa Police investigated a double shooting that took place at the Gardens At South- Bay apartments. Jamil Mar- quis Collier, 22, died of his injuries and Cameron M. Denson, 17, was injured. En- rique Cruz was arrested on May 12, 2016.
Deputies responded to 14889 Swallow Tail Court in reference to a man waiving a gun. The deputies ended up shooting Jeffery Glen Casale, 27, after he refused to shoot them.
A Tampa man shot an in- truder after he heard a noise downstairs and went to inves- tigate. Lanny Ray Marler, 37, died as a result of his in- juries. The case was referred to the State Attorney’s Office.
Tampa Police responded to 3312 Cherokee Avenue in ref- erence to a domestic distur- bance on March 15th. Asian male Sunny Chin, 53, was fa- tally injured after he pointed a
gun at the officers.
On March 25th, Albert Courtney, telephoned the police and reported that he had shot his brother, Lonnie Courtney, 51, at 3811 N. 54th Street. The case was referred to the State Attorney’s Office for a ruling.
Tampa Police responded to 11111 N. 30th Street, on March 26th, in reference to a shooting. They discovered that Edward Leroy King, 51, had been fa- tally injured by gunfire. Patrick Mathew Mc- Mananmon, had reportedly killed King and began shoot- ing at police, striking Officer Jose Rodriguez in the chest. He was killed by police when they returned fire. Officer Rodriguez survived.
Roy Judkins, 73, was killed on March 30th. The Hillsborough County State At- torney’s Office decided not to charge Luther Brown in the case.
APRIL
The Plant City Police De- partment arrested Xavier Quesean Smith, 19, in refer- ence to the robbery and mur- der of Michael Joseph Beson, 67, of Standish, Michigan.
On April 9th, Pablo Butista, 49, was found dead in a vehicle near the intersec- tion of N. 49th Street and E. 10th Avenue. The Tampa Police Department is still investigat- ing the murder.
Kagan Dane McFar- land, 31, was found in the parking lot located at 5901 E. Fowler Avenue, on April 13th. He died of gunshot wounds. Temple Terrace Police Depart- ment is still investigating the case.
Ms. Nancy Engelhart, 73, and her husband, John Engelhart, 76, were found shot to death in their home. Deputies arrested Michael Anthony Herald and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder.
Octavius Deon Ware,
39, was stabbed to death by a known individual on April 19th. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office referred the
case to the State Attorney’s Of- fice.
Evan Godwin, 25, was shot to death during an argu- ment. Deputies arrested Logan Schwab and charged him with second-degree mur- der. The shooting took place on April 21st.
Ms. Aysoni Q. Lewis
was charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and grand theft of a vehicle in the April 25th murder of James Simmons, Jr. Tampa Police investigated the murder.
MAY
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Park at Ravenna Apart- ments, 6919 Bonair Drive, in reference to Angel Manuel Hernandez, 21, being found dead in a vehicle. Hykeem Jovantee Clifford, 25, was arrested and charged with sec- ond-degree murder.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation into the mur- der of Saadyar Roice John- son, 36, who was killed at 6804 N. 50th Street, on May 3rd.
Joel Alberto Torres, 24, was shot and killed during the attempted robbery. Hillsbor- ough County referred the case to the State Attorney’s Office.
Deputies arrested Steve Edmonds Evans, 32, in con- nection with the murder of David Allen Smith, 24. The death culminated an argument at Triaga Nightclub.
OCTAVIUS DEAN WARE
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