Suspect accused of murdering Tampa man he met on Grindr waives right to bond hearing

TAMPA, Fla. - A man accused of brutally murdering a Tampa man he met on a dating app will stay in jail at least until his trial.

Lazaro Basilio Martinez Rojas, 25, appeared in court, and was expected to ask a judge to set bond. By the time he sat in front of the judge on Friday, however, he and his attorney decided to waive his right to the hearing.

Martiz Rojas' attorney indicated the evidence, which includes security camera footage from inside the victim's home on East Okara Road in Tampa, was strong enough that the judge likely would have denied the request.

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"Having reviewed some of the physical evidence and scene documentation and security system footage, we're going to be waiving our right to a pretrial detention hearing," said Jamie Kane, with the Hillsborough County Public Defender's office.

Court documents revealed Martinez Rojas met the victim, Robert O’Connor, on a dating app called Grindr. On Nov. 7, Martinez Rojas met the victim at a home on East Okara road.

Investigators said following their encounter, O’Connor wanted Martinez Rojas to leave, but instead, Martinez Rojas attacked O'Connor.

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Records show the gruesome murder was caught on home surveillance video, showing Martinez Rojas strangling the victim, and then standing on his throat.

Robert O’Connor was murdered in his home, according to officials.

Later, they said Martinez Rojas was seen on the video with a large kitchen knife. Four days later, O’Connor's friends went to check on him and discovered his body wrapped in a blanket in one of the bedrooms.

They also found Martinez Rojas hiding underneath a living room couch, allegedly with a large kitchen knife under his knee. Martinez Rojas was arrested and is now in the Hillsborough County jail.