BRANDON, Fla. — Deputies arrested two additional men said to be connected to the armed robbery involving an undercover deputy at the Westfield Brandon mall, alleging they helped one of the teens avoid arrest.
Gian Cantillo, 19, and Eric Paul, 31, each face a charge of accessory after the fact for assisting 19-year-old Jaycob Riley, who was on the run after Monday's robbery and shooting, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
The agency says the undercover deputy at the mall was part of a larger investigation into getting illegal firearms off the streets. While inside the deputy's car during a firearm transaction, 19-year-olds Riley and Jordan Gracia drew their guns and robbed the deputy, according to the sheriff's office.
Investigators said both fired their weapons at responding deputies at the mall and ran off. Gracia was tackled and arrested, while Riley was arrested Wednesday night.
The sheriff's office said Thursday afternoon that investigators learned Cantillo, who works at the Red Robin restaurant at the mall, helped Riley get new clothes and cut his dreadlocks to leave the mall unrecognizable. He, too, allegedly allowed Riley to stay at his home and hide from law enforcement.
Paul, who the sheriff's office says is an inmate at the Orlando Bridge Corrections Facility on a work-release program, spoke with Riley on the phone and tried to arrange for his girlfriend to get Riley a ride out of Hillsborough County, the news release states.
Authorities issued a warrant, which will be served on Paul at his facility, they say.
"Despite going to great lengths to avoid arrest, these men were not able to outsmart our detectives," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "We not only were able to take dangerous individuals into custody but also take firearms out of the hands of criminals.
"While undercover operations come with risks, the greater reward, and the reason why we conduct them, is knowing that criminals will not be able to use these weapons again to victimize our community."