Seminole Heights on high alert following 3 murders
TAMPA, Fla. - People in Seminole Heights remain on high alert. A serial killer is still on the loose, targeting people in their neighborhood.
Three innocent lives already taken. 20-year-old Anthony Naiboa was coming home from a new job when he mistakenly got off at the wrong bus stop. His murder Thursday was the third in 11 days. It happened just a short distance from where both Benjamin Mitchell and Monica Hoffa were shot and killed.
There's an uneasy feeling on the streets. Seminole Heights residents still coming to grips with the fact that three people have been shot and killed.
"It's a really good neighborhood," said Jamie Collins. "We've not really had many problems until this recent thing."
"This neighborhood is a quiet neighborhood, but all these things happening, it's crazy," Jose Arroyo said.
Everyone agrees they don't want any more victims.
Some folks refuse to be spooked by the unsolved murders, while others are frightened.
"My wife is scared, my kids are scared, we have to be locked up in the house, which is not right, you know," said Arroyo.
Police have not released many details about their investigation. Officers are flooding the area hoping to capture the triggerman, and people who live there have noticed.
"When I think about the victims and their families, that's what keeps us going," Tampa Police Interim Chief Brian Dugan said. "We have the resolve, and we're gonna bring an end to this, and it's going to stop."
Crime Stoppers has teamed up with the ATF to offer up to a $25,000 reward for information that leads to a suspect’s arrest.
In the meantime, officials don't want residents hiding in their homes, being held hostage by the killer. Police want people to stay in groups, turn their porch lights on and pay attention.
"I will never live in an environment where I have to feel like I am a prisoner in my own house, no matter what," Collins said.
The Police Department is hosting a community meeting Monday to talk with residents about the murders and ways they can stay safe. It’s scheduled for 6:30PM at the Edison Elementary School auditorium.