'It’s a horrific thing': Friend recalls finding man murdered by Grindr match
TAMPA, Fla. - A gruesome murder scene was discovered earlier this month at a Tampa home on East Okara Road.
Police say 53-year-old Rob O’Connor was murdered by a man he met on a dating website. Lozaro Martinez Rojas is now facing a first-degree murder charge.
Rob O’Connor was murdered in his Tampa home, according to officials.
Now the victim's best friend is speaking out about the horror of finding his friend. Robert Greytak Jr. said he can’t get the images out of his head.
"It’s a horrific thing to walk into a home and find blood in your friend's house," explained Greytak.
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Investigators said O’Connor and Rojas met on Grindr, a gay dating website. On Nov. 7, they met at O’Connor’s home where detectives say the two had sex and later O’Connor asked Rojas to leave.
That led to a violent confrontation.
Lozaro Martinez Rojas is accused of murdering O'Connor.
Records show the murder was caught on home surveillance video. They said it captures Rojas strangling O’Connor and standing on his throat until his body goes limp.
Detectives said Rojas mutilated the body with a large kitchen knife. After not hearing from O’Connor for several days, Greytak and other friends went to check on him and that’s when they made the horrific discovery.
Even more chilling, officials said, Rojas was still hiding in the house.
"We didn’t know what we were encountering, so I had my camera and I did record the scene and when I looked back on it, and saw him under the couch in my recording, my hair just stands on edge now thinking that you can see his hair sticking out of the couch. It’s very hard on us it’s very hard," explained Greytak.
Now he wants to warn others about the dangers of dating apps like Grindr. In fact, in a sad twist of irony, he recently talked to O’Connor about the risks of bringing a stranger home.
"I’ve heard of gay men being targeted so if they were, they would go straight to an app because it’s the easiest way to get to somebody," Greytak said.
He said O’Connor was kind, trusting and had a heart of gold. According to Greytak, O'Connor was loved by so many.
Greytak said no one deserves to have their life end in such a heinous way.
"He needs to pay for that. There needs to be justice," he said.
Rojas remains in jail with no bond.