Florida authorities are looking for a suspect they believe has been responsible for three homicides within one Tampa neighborhood over the past several days.
In the latest death, police say 20-year-old Anthony Taino Naiboa was shot as he walked home after missing his bus stop and ending up in the Seminole Heights community, according to WFTS.
The autistic man’s death Thursday was the third in a string of suspicious deaths beginning 10 days earlier when 22-year-old Benjamin Mitchell’s body was found roughly 100 yards from where Naiboa was killed.
Monica Caridad Hoffa, 32, was found dead October 13 in a vacant lot located within the neighborhood.
Interim Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said in a media statement Friday that all the evidence points to a connection between the three crimes.
He asked for the community’s help finding someone he said is “terrorizing the neighborhood.”
Fox News reported that police released surveillance footage showing an individual walking in the vicinity of the most recent crime scene and are hoping it will help identify a suspect in the case.
“I’m convinced we are going to catch this person,” Dugan said. “It’s frustrating and it makes me angry they are able to vanish so quickly.”
NEW:Anthony Naiboa’s parents, siblings bring flowers, teddy bear to spot where he slain, 3rd linked Seminole Heights homicide @abcactionnews pic.twitter.com/MefkRoy3A9
— CarsonChambers (@CarsonChambers) October 20, 2017
He explained officers on patrol were close enough to hear the gunshots that killed Naiboa but found only the victim when they arrived.
“You can imagine the frustration of these officers to hear gunshots and not be able to find this person,” he said.
Authorities are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the investigation and are asking anyone with such information to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.
[Featured image: Handout]
