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Release Number: 09-142

For Immediate Release

Public Information Office

May 15, 2009

Debbie Carter: dcarter@hcso.tampa.fl.us

(813) 247-8060

 

 

Who:

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

    District One Patrol, Property Detectives, Street Crimes and ILP Deputies
What:

Taking a bite out of crime in the District One Area using ILP concept
When:

May 4, 2009 through May 15, 2009
Where:

District One, Hillsborough County
Why/How:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As part of the Intelligence Led Policing (ILP) concept, detectives and deputies assigned to the District One Office working and sharing information with Tampa Police Department’s District Two Gang Unit and Property detectives have experienced great success in the last two weeks.  Detectives were working several residential burglaries and also identifying local truants and gang members in order to establish if there were any connections between the burglaries and those identified.  The two week operation is evident that those committing crimes are crossing jurisdiction boundaries and coming into contact with several law enforcement agencies.  These are also examples of information provided by concerned citizens that are reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.

 

On May 4, 2009 between 7:15 and 8:15 a.m. four suspects (DRAK gang members) broke into three vehicles, one at 11717 Forest Hills Drive and two at 12015 Orange Grove Drive.  A witness obtained a tag number of the suspect vehicle (which was later confirmed as being stolen out of the City of Tampa).   At approximately 8:30 a.m., Florida Highway Patrol began a pursuit of silver Ford Thunderbird in the area of Bearss Avenue and North Boulevard in reference to a LoJack hit.  The vehicle was pursued to Busch Blvd and Nebraska where is crashed into a taxi cab.  Four suspects, Denzell McGhee, Rufus McGhee, Patrick Rivers and Jerrell Simmons all fled the vehicle, but were apprehended by Tampa Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol.   This vehicle was the one seen by a citizen that called in a suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood of the burglary.  Stolen property from the Orange Grove Dr. address was recovered inside the vehicle.

 

On May 6, 2009, a van was stolen from University Mall and used in residential burglaries in Pasco County.  Deputies found a known car thief suspect who lives next to the mall and was accompanied by Shakur Davis, a HOTBOY gang member.  Deputies called Davis’ probation officer and found he was truant, and by being truant, he was in violation of his probation.  Davis was arrested for Violation of Probation and received 30 months in Florida State Prison this week.

 

On May 13, 2009, deputies arrested two individuals in a stolen car.  One of the suspects, Demetrius James is the brother of homicide suspect Travis James who was arrested in January of this year.  Demetrius was arrested for Grand Theft Auto and Burglary of a conveyance.  A passenger in the vehicle was also arrested – Daniel Jones.  Jones was arrested for Trespass and Possession of Marijuana. 

 

Deputies arrested Ernesto Lugo a known “GOYAM” gang member for several outstanding burglary warrants.  Lugo was arrested when deputies came in contact with him after suspecting him of sell/buying narcotics.

 

On May 14, 2009, a neighborhood watch member while in his driveway observed what he thought  were suspicious individuals and called the Sheriff’s Office.   A deputy working a joint truant and burglary saturation responded and discovered an unreported burglary.   Other deputies responded and located the suspects responsible for the burglary and took three suspects into custody. 

 

Freddie Lockhart, Tramarcus Collins and Jonathan Turnage were all taken into custody and charged with burglary charges and possession of marijuana.   Property from the burglary was recovered in the suspect vehicle. 

 

Deputies were able to establish that some of the suspects in the residential burglaries were riding around in the neighborhoods looking for potential targets.  The suspects would pick a potential target residence and watch the house for a few days to establish the homeowner’s schedule.

 

Deputies encourage citizens to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhood. If you observe a suspicious vehicle that isn’t familiar to you or your neighborhood call law enforcement.