Current:Home > ScamsA Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them. -FundSphere
A Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them.
View
Date:2025-04-27 00:58:46
Correction: An early version of this story provided an incorrect location for the casino the victims were visiting.
A Florida couple is grateful to be alive after two masked men attacked, robbed and shot them as they returned home from a date night at a casino, according to authorities.
The ambush happened at 5 a.m. on Aug. 2 outside a home in Riverview, Florida after the couple spent the evening at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told USA TODAY on Friday. Two people were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds that morning.
Tristin Wright, 36, and Marcus Jenkins, 34, have been arrested in connection with the shooting, according to the department. Jenkins has been charged with attempted murder, but both men face several robbery, firearm and battery charges, the spokesperson said. Police are also currently looking for a third suspect.
USA TODAY was working to track down the men's attorneys, if they have them. None are listed for them in court records.
Gunshot victims detail attack
Kim Chambliss and her boyfriend, Val Delacruz, spoke to WTVT about the attack and how they are recovering from the shooting.
"I hear another gunshot and my first thought was 'They've killed him.' I was hysterical, I screamed and cried," Chambliss told the TV station about what she thought when the robbers shot Delacruz.
She talked about how shocking the attack was, saying "we're just average people who are out having a good time, who love each other."
"And to know that we didn't even realize that people were following us every step of the way − it's scary. It's scary," she told the station.
Five gunshots were fired during the robbery, the Miami Herald reported, citing Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies.
Ring camera caught shooting on video
Chambliss said the two men surrounded her and Delacruz's car and demanded money, WTVT reported.
"I ran and I fell in the door and the other guy came out and shot me again for the third time in my left leg," Delacruz told the TV station.
Ring camera footage captured the entire situation, even showing Delacruz being shot in both legs before pleading to the masked men who were standing over him, according to WTVT. The men drove away once the couple's neighbors walked outside.
The couple stayed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for several hours and left after Delacruz won $3,300 on a slot machine and cashed out, the Miami Herald reported, citing the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
'We're just average people'
Investigators arrested Jenkins and Wright after surveillance video showed them watching the couple at the casino in Tampa, Florida for two hours before following them home, WTVT reported.
The attack happened on the one night a month the couple makes time for a date. "We don't get to do it often just because we both work extremely hard," Chambliss told the station.
Delacruz said he is "normally aware" of his surroundings or "would notice if someone was following" him, the TV station reported.
"We've always felt safe in our home. Safe in the neighborhood," Chambliss said. "To have that taken away (is) to have just such an insecure feeling."
veryGood! (1884)
Related
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Netflix's 'Heartstopper' tackled teen sex. It sparked an important conversation.
- Jayden Daniels brushes off Lamar Jackson comparisons: 'We're two different players'
- Last Chance for Prime Day 2024: The Top 26 Last-Minute Deals You Should Add to Your Cart Now
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Advocates in Georgia face barriers getting people who were formerly incarcerated to vote
- Prime Day 2024 Final Hours: Score a Rare 40% Off Waterpik Water Flosser Deal
- Nicholas Pryor, 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'General Hospital' actor, dies at 89
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Travis Barker Shares Sweet Shoutout to Son Landon Barker for 21st Birthday
Ranking
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Dodgers vs. Padres live score updates: San Diego can end NLDS, Game 4 time, channel
- Atlantic City mayor and his wife plead not guilty to beating their daughter
- A former Arkansas deputy is sentenced for a charge stemming from a violent arrest caught on video
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Opinion: Luis Tiant deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Last Chance! Hailey Bieber-Approved HexClad Cookware Deals Will Sell Out Soon—Shop Before Prime Day Ends!
- Smartwatch shootout: New Apple Series 10, Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy 7 jockey for position
Recommendation
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
SpongeBob SquarePants Actors Finally Weigh in on Krabby Patty Secret Formula
Arizona Democratic office hit by third shooting in weeks. There were no injuries or arrests
Frustrated With Your Internet Connection? This Top-Rated Wi-Fi Extender is $12 on Amazon Prime Day 2024
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
NFL MVP race: Lamar Jackson's stock is rising, but he's chasing rookie Jayden Daniels
Tesla is unveiling its long-awaited robotaxi amid doubts about the technology it runs on
Opinion: College leaders have no idea how to handle transgender athlete issues