CARROLLWOOD, Fla. — One man is dead and three people are in custody as the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's investigation into a Mother's Day robbery at a Save A Lot led them to a Carrollwood neighborhood Tuesday evening.
Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said through forensic evidence, they were able to use fingerprints on a can of soda from the robbery scene that revealed Pedro Gamez, 30, as a person of interest in the case.
The robbery happened around 8:30 p.m. Sunday at a Save a Lot on West Fletcher Avenue in Tampa. The two men went into the store, filled up bags with groceries and tried to leave without paying, according to the sheriff's office. When confronted, one of the men threatened the employee with a shotgun, detectives said.
Chronister on Tuesday evening said in a press conference that Gamez conducted the robbery at Save A Lot. The 30-year-old has a lengthy violent criminal history.
That's when the investigation led them to a home in Carrollwood. Officers confronted Rico Dyches, 24, and a woman leaving the house at Lake Ellen Circle at around 4 p.m. Tuesday. While trying to conduct a traffic stop, Dyches rammed the black Mercedes he was driving into the officers' cars before being stopped one block away, Chronister said.
The two were taken into custody. Dyches was taken in on warrants out of Polk County. The woman is a witness, at this time, Chronister said. The two told officers that Gamez was inside the home from where they fled.
Officers gave commands for Gamez to exit the house. Chronister said after some negotiation, he complied and was taken into custody on warrants related to the Save A Lot robbery without incident. He told them there was no one left in the house, however, Chronister said task force officers still conducted a sweep to secure the home.
According to the sheriff's office, Gamez faces charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, tampering with physical evidence, felon in possession of a firearm, grand theft motor vehicle and robbery with a firearm.
Once on the second floor, two officers encountered a man who stepped outside of a closet when they entered a bedroom. The man, later identified as Victor Gamez, 26, was holding a gun toward the officers and Chronister said he stepped toward them in a "violent" way, charging at the officers.
The two task force officers, one who is a Tampa police officer and the other who is a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy, fired multiple shots, hitting the man. Victor Gamez was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital-North, where he later died.
The sheriff's office said no officers were injured during the shooting.
At this time, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is taking over the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
"These were extremely violent individuals with lengthy criminal histories, and it was clear by their actions that they were willing to do whatever it takes not to get arrested," Chronister said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office also conducted a search warrant at the residence to find any items or weapons that were used in connection to the robbery at Save A Lot.