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Evidence found in trash helps catch man accused of firing shot at Tampa clerk during robbery: DOJ

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Published  March 26, 2025 1:11pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • Rafael Jimenez, 30, is suspected of firing a shot at a store clerk during an armed robbery in Tampa.
    • The Justice Department says surveillance footage, along with items found in Jimenez's trash, helped identify him as the suspect.
    • He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

TAMPA, Fla. - Federal investigators have arrested a man accused of opening fire while robbing a Tampa gas station at gunpoint – and they say evidence found in the suspect's trash helped catch him.

Arrest of Rafael Jimenez

What we know:

According to the Justice Department, a man later identified as Rafael Jimenez, 30, walked into a convenience store on March 8 and pulled out a gun while demanding cash from the register.

Investigators say Jimenez fired a shot that hit the ground directly behind the clerk, then took off with cigarettes and more than $600 in cash.

READ: Teen on Royal Caribbean cruise attacked by HIV-infected illegal immigrant: Police

Surveillance video from the day of the robbery showed a vehicle resembling Jimenez's car near the scene, prosecutors say, while additional footage days before the crime showed a man with a distinctive tattoo who looked like Jimenez.

Photo courtesy: U.S. Department of Justice.

Photo courtesy: U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOJ says detectives also uncovered a string of evidence in Jimenez's trash outside his home, including a ski mask, gloves and cigarettes with the same brand name as the ones stolen from the store.

Prosecutors say the case is part of "Operation Take Back America," which aims to "repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."

What we don't know:

Investigators did not provide details on Jimenez's immigration status.

The DOJ also did not release the exact location of the store Jimenez is suspected of robbing, only saying the crime took place in Tampa.

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What's next:

Jimenez faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of Hobbs Act robbery. The DOJ says the Hobbs Act "prohibits actual or attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce in any way or degree."

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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