Page 19 - Florida Sentinel 1-8-19

Crime
Man Faces First
Internet Predator Unit Arrests Tampa Man
RICHARD LEE NEWTON
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Criminal In- vestigations Division has ar- rested a man and charged him as an Internet Predator. The arrest came about after the National Center for Miss- ing and Exploited Children contacted them with a tip.
According to police, the organization stated that inap- propriate text messages be- tween an adult male and a juvenile were taking place.
Detectives learned that between August 23, 2018 and September 3, 2018, a conver- sation ensued via the Face- book Messenger application between the 15-year-old con- fidential victim and 24-year- old Richard Lee Newton.
The text messages ex- changed between Newton and the victim were report- edly sexually explicit in na- ture. Police obtained a warrant for Newton. On De- cember 27th, Newton was taken into custody and al- legedly admitted to having conversations with the juvenile victim via Face- book Messenger.
Newton was charged with distributing obscene material to a minor; using computer services/ de- vices to solicit certain illegal acts; and traveling to meet a minor after using computer services/devices to solicit cer- tain illegal acts.
Man Sought For
Degree Murder
Robbery Of Four
On October 3, 2018, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office launched an investiga- tion into an unexplained death. The skeletal remains were found in the Bull Frog Creek Mobile Home, 11211 East Bay Road, in Gibsonton.
Deputies responded to lo- cation and learned that a maintenance worker had made the discovery. The vic- tim was later identified as 24- year-old John Charles Jacobi, III.
Last Friday, deputies ar- rested 21-year-old Robert Lee Taylor, III, on an active warrant and charged him with second-degree murder. However, the charge was later upgraded to first-degree
ROBERT LEE TAYLOR, III ... Charged with first-degree murder
murder with a firearm and tampering with physical evi- dence.
Police did not release a motive for the murder.
Police are trying to iden- tify a man who robbed two Publix liquor stores at gun- point last week. He is be- lieved to be the same suspect who committed two rob- beries in Hillsborough County.
According to police, on December 6th, at approxi- mately 9:30 p.m., the man entered the Bottle Rack, 6101 Gunn Highway. He produced a silver revolver and de- manded cash. He fled the scene with the cash and a bottle of Hennessey.
On December 29th, at ap- proximately 9:45 p.m., a man entered Jan’s Wines and Boos, 3921 Van Dyke Road, produced a black re- volver, and demanded money and a bottle of Hen- nessey. He fled the scene with the cash and a bottle of Courvoisier VS.
Less than a week later, on January 3rd, at approxi- mately 6:10 p.m., a suspect entered the Publix Liquor Store, 3615 Gandy Blvd., and produced a black revolver. He demanded money and a bottle of Crown Royal whiskey. The man took the cash and whiskey and fled the scene.
That same night, a sus- pect entered the Publix
LIQUOR ROBBERY SUSPECT
Liquor Store, 1313 Dale Mabry, and displayed a black revolver. He demanded money and left the store with the cash.
The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic man, 5’8” to 5’10. He wore a hat, hooded sweatshirt, and dark sunglasses while committing the crime.
Detectives believe the same man is responsible for all four robberies. Detectives with both the Tampa Police Department and the Hills- borough County Sheriff’s Of- fice are working together to identify and arrest the sus- pect.
Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873- TIPS or www.crimestopper- stb.com.
Charge
Businesses
Police Search For
Man Who Shot At
Bus Passenger
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a man who shot at an unidentified victim. The incident took place on No- vember 21st, around 9 p.m.
According to police, the victim exited the HART bus near Progress Blvd., and 83rd Street, South. When the vic- tim exited, a Black man in his late teens to early twenties followed.
After the two got off the bus, the suspect followed him to the shopping plaza at the corner of 78th Street and Progress Blvd. At that point, the suspect fired several shots toward the victim. However, the victim was able to run and was not harmed.
The suspect is 5’8” to 6’ tall and was wearing dark
SHOOTING SUSPECT
clothes and a black and white checkered scarf. He was armed with a semi-automatic firearm.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to con- tact Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 873-TIPS or www.crimestopperstb.com.
UNCLE SANDY
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; 2, 13, 26, 46, 66, true nobility is being superior to your former self 8, 22, 34, 55, 70.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 19