'Cold-hearted': Tampa police arrest suspect accused of shooting, killing victim's dog during robbery
Full press conference: Tampa police chief announces arrest of suspect accused of shooting, killing dog during robbery
Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor announced the arrest of a suspect wanted for shooting a man's two dogs on the street while he attempted to rob him. One of the dogs later died. The suspect is a 17-year-old who investigators believe is linked to other armed robberies in Hillsborough County.
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa police have arrested a suspect who they say shot and killed a victim's dog during an attempted armed robbery last week.
Police Chief Mary O'Connor announced during a Thursday afternoon press conference that officers had arrested 17-year-old Jayden Harris in the shooting, which happened in the 2600 block of W. Powhatan Avenue around 7 p.m. last Friday.
Geovanni Ruiz was walking his two seven-year-old dachshunds when he said a man approached him at gunpoint, demanded money, and fired his weapon.
Police said Harris fired about five shots toward the ground, striking Ruiz’s dogs.
When Ruiz picked up both of his dogs and fled, O'Connor said the suspect shot at him two more times as he ran away, narrowly missing him.
The Victim immediately took his pets to an emergency veterinarian, and said his dog, Bamby survived, but the other, Jacob, died from gunshot wounds.
After reviewing surveillance camera footage in the area, police identified Harris as a passenger in a Volkswagen SUV that had been circling the block around the time of the shooting.
O'Connor said the teenager had been wanted on an unrelated robbery by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and Tampa police arrested him on that warrant hours after the shooting — not knowing his involvement in the attempted robbery and dog's death.
Harris bonded out of jail two days later, but when investigators realized he was likely the suspect in the shooting, they showed his photo to Ruiz.
"When we showed the victim the photo, he broke down and immediately identified him," O'Connor said.
(Courtesy: Tampa Police Department)
Police located Harris at his home Thursday and took him into custody, charging him with a number of felonies including aggravated assault, robbery with a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm, two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, and minor in possession of a firearm.
O'Connor said that even though Harris is under the age of 18, he is being adjudicated as an adult.
"We took a cold-hearted criminal off the streets," O'Connor said.