Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 10-20-17

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
NANAH
In order to be our Spotlight feature, you must be re- ally unique, and have that certain something that makes other women wish they had. That’s what Nanah has, and she describes herself as a young woman who believes in herself. Nanah loves fashion and everything about it, and believes fashion plays a big part in all of our lives. Congratulations to Nanah as this week’s Spotlight feature.
Police Believe Recent Murders Are Linked
Officers with the Tampa Police Department re- sponded to two separate murders within blocks of each other earlier this month. The crimes happened four days apart and now police be- lieve the person responsible committed both murders.
On October 9th, police re- sponded to the intersection of N. 15th Street and E. Frierson Avenue in reference to shots being fired. When officers ar- rived, they discovered Ben- jamin Edward Mitchell, 22, of Tampa, had been shot near the bus stop. Mitchell was transported to a local hospital, where he died as a result of his injuries.
The second murder took place in the 1000 block of E. New Orleans Avenue. A city employee found the body of Ms. Monica Caridad Hoffa, 32, of Tampa. Ms. Hoffa’s body was found early on Friday, October 13th. She, too, had been shot.
Police said the murders occurred within 10 blocks of each other in the southeast Seminole Heights Area. Both cases are unusual in that there are no clear motives for either murder. The two mur-
BENJAMIN EDWARD MITCHELL
ders also took place around the same time of night, police said.
These facts, along with several other factors have led detectives to believe that the two cases are related.
Detectives were able to obtain a video of a young Black man walking in the area after the Mitchell mur- der. They would like to talk with him to determine if he saw or heard anything that night.
Detectives are in the process of collecting videos from surrounding businesses and homes in the area. They are also attempting to iden- tify the man in the video.
MONICA CARIDAD HOFFA
In reaction to the mur- ders, detectives are canvass- ing the area and warning residents not to walk alone at night, turn on outdoor lights, and report any suspicious ac- tivity to police.
Police will also provide light bulbs if necessary. Sus- picious activity should be re- ported to (813) 231-6130.
Anyone with information about the identification and arrest of the suspect may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000.
To report information contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873- TIPS or www.crimestopper- stb.com.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A