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Save A Lot robbery suspects arrested after violent clash with officers
Kellie Cowan reports
CARROLLWOOD, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the suspects behind Sunday's armed robbery of a Tampa Save A Lot are believed to have lengthy and violent criminal histories in neighboring Polk County.
Two men are now behind bars and a third is dead after trying to ambush US Marshals on Tuesday, according to HCSO.
Rico Dyches
Rico Dyches, 24, made his first appearance before a Hillsborough County judge on Wednesday. He's facing seven outstanding warrants in Polk County, which include charges for burglary, grand theft auto, possession of methamphetamine and theft. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said he'll also face charges in the county for attempting to drive a stolen BMW into law enforcement vehicles while trying to flee during a raid Tuesday.
Sheriff Chronister said Dyches was likely one of the four suspects who robbed a grocery store at gunpoint on Sunday, then shot at deputies during a high-speed getaway.
While detectives work to put Dyches at the scene, Sheriff Chronister said they're certain of the identity of one of the robbery suspects.
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Pedro Gamez
According to Sheriff Chronister, Pedro Gamez, 30, left his fingerprints behind at the store. Given his long arrest record, detectives were able to easily find a match in their criminal database.
"As he's walking around the store carefree, he's drinking a can of mountain dew," said Chronister. "Technology is phenomenal. You may be able to run from the police but he couldn't run from technology."
Like Dyches, Gamez has a rap sheet that includes burglary, and had outstanding warrants in Polk County related to robbery and felony battery. He's now facing charges in Hillsborough for robbery with a firearm, two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, and grand theft for his alleged role in Sunday's robbery.
After discovering his fingerprints at Sunday’s crime scene, US Marshals tracked Gamez to a Carrollwood Home where teams set up surveillance. When a man and woman left the house law-enforcement moved in. The man, however, turned out to be Dyches, not Gamez. Instead of explaining the mix up, Sheriff Chronister said Dyches attempted to use his car as a battering ram to try to escape.
Dyches was arrested. The woman in the car with him was not taken into custody, though Sheriff Chronister indicated she may have been involved in the Save-A-Lot robbery.
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A SWAT team was able to successfully convince Gamez, who was still inside the home, to surrender peacefully. Sheriff Chronister said Gamez told law enforcement no one else was inside the home, however when task force officers went inside the home to clear it room-by-room, Pedro Gamez' brother, 26-year-old Victor, came out of a bedroom closet with a gun. Victor Gamez charged at both task force officers, and they fired multiple shots at the man, according to Sheriff Chronister.
Victor Gamez
Victor Gamez was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries, law enforcement said.
Though Victor Gamez was not facing outstanding warrants, he too had been in and out of Polk County jails for charges ranging from grand theft auto, to possession of methamphetamine, to burglary.
The sheriff's office said it's still investigating Sunday's armed robbery, but they believe Dyches, Pedro and Victor Gamez were all involved.