Page 39 - Florida Sentinel 4-22-22

Crime
Vehicle Of Murder Victim Found In Hillsborough County
Police Seek Help In Polk County Murder
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said the vehicle of a murder victim has been lo- cated. Although detectives have not released any addi- tional information about the case, they did say that deputies found the white 2008 Nissan Altima they had been trying to find for nearly a month. The vehicle was found in Hillsborough County.
On March 21st, family members reported Ms. Teneisha Griffith missing to the Tampa Police Depart- ment. They said she had not been seen since March 19th.
Family members reported the 27-year-old mother miss- ing to the Tampa Police De- partment on Monday, March 21. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office assumed the lead in the investigation involving the disappearance of Ms. Grif- fith.
On March 24th, deputies recovered her body near La- coochee Claysink Road and
TENEISHA GRIFFTHS
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information about the murder of a 29-year- old man. The victim has been identified as Xavier Antonio Johnson of St. Pe- tersburg.
On April 13, 2022, John- son was shot during a drug transaction inside a home on Acorn Drive in Davenport that he and his associates were renting via Air BNB. Accord- ing to the investigation, John- son and his associates had been selling trafficking amounts of marijuana from the house since April 8, 2022, when they took occupancy.
Around 8:30 p.m. on April 13th, unknown suspects went inside the house, and shot the victim.
A video obtained by police showed three men carrying Johnson from the house. The men reportedly took John- son to the Heart of Florida hospital and left him there. He died as a result of his injuries.
JUSTIN JENKINS
Police have identified one the men as have been identi- fied Justin Jenkins, 29, of Volusia County. He was taken into custody last weekend in Volusia County. He was ar- rested on a warrant for first- degree murder. He is being held in the Volusia County jail.
If anyone has information about this investigation they are urged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863- 298-6200. If you have infor- mation and wish to remain anonymous, and be eligible for a $5,000 cash reward, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers.
State Road 575 area of La- coochee by the Hernando County line around 1:30 in the afternoon.
Detectives are still waiting to learn the cause of Ms. Griffith’s death from the Medical Examiner.
If you have any informa- tion regarding the disappear- ance or death of Teneisha between March 19-24, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-
TIPS (8477). Online tips can be made to www. crimestopperstb.com.
You may also report tips to PCSO online at PascoSher- iff.com/tips or by calling the PCSO Crime Tips Line at 1- 800-706-2488.
Man Convicted Of Stabbing Bus Driver Gets Life Sentence
JUSTIN MCGRIFF
A man accused of killing a Hillsborough Area Regional Transit bus driver has been sentenced to life in prison. He was convicted of killing bus driver Thomas Dunn. The jury deliberated four hours be- fore finding Justin McGriff guilty of first-degree murder.
McGriff was captured on surveillance video inside the bus stabbing Dunn to death in 2019.
Prosecutors originally had sought the death penalty. How- ever, McGriff was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial and was sent for treatment. Prose- cutors dropped the death penalty in favor of life in prison without the possibility of pa- role.
Woman Arrested For Making False Police Report
UNCLE SANDY
We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, 9, 14, 23, 36, 40, 59, so as to have the life that is waiting for us, 6, 14, 25, 38, 50, 61.
On April 18, 2022, detec- tives arrested 34-year-old Taleta Collier, of Winter Haven, for criminal use of a personal ID and uttering a false document after she created a fake police report to avoid pun- ishment for excessive tardiness at work.
On April 4, 2022, detectives were contacted by the Assistant Federal Security Director of Law Enforcement with the Federal Air Marshal Service after Collier, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Officer submitted what ap- peared to be a fake PCSO bur- glary report.
During the investigation, PCSO detectives learned that Collier was on a TSA em- ployee improvement plan for excessive tardiness when on March 20, 2022, she called the TSA telecommunications office and said she was going to be late for her scheduled shift.
Once she arrived at work, Collier told her supervisor she was late because while she was at her parents’ home, a man armed with a knife attempted to burglarize her parents’ vehi- cle. Collier told her supervisor she drew her agency issued weapon and pointed it at the
TALETA COLLIER
alleged suspect causing him to flee.
Collier in- formed her su- pervisor the incident was reported to PCSO. When asked for a case number or
business card of the investigat- ing detective, Collier said she was not provided with either. Collier was instructed to ob- tain and provide a copy of the report to her supervision.
She then texted her super- visor a screen shot of a docu- ment that looked similar to a police report. However, the su- pervisor told her he needed the original report.
When Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives reviewed the image, they determined it was an obvious fake PCSO report. Collier used the name of a current PCSO deputy and his assigned member number on the document. The deputy was on vacation and out of the country at the date and time listed on the fake report.
Collier was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail.
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