HOLIDAY, Fla. — Detectives are searching for answers after a known gang member murdered an Uber Eats driver in a seemingly random act of violence, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office reports.
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said the investigation began on April 19, the day the Uber Eats driver was texting his wife while finishing up his deliveries for the night. The driver was later identified by his wife as 59-year-old Randall Cooke.
At 6:43 p.m., Cooke texted his wife saying he would be home soon, but by 7:13 p.m., he had stopped replying, the sheriff explained.
It was late that night that the woman reported her husband missing and the sheriff's office was able to track Cooke's last known location to 3438 Moog Road in Holiday.
On April 21, detectives were able to make contact with a man living at the home who provided them with video from April 19 of the Uber Eats driver walking up to the house.
According to Nocco, the video cut off around 6:55 p.m. right after Cooke was seen bringing the food to the door.
Video from April 20 then reportedly showed 30-year-old Oscar Solis, who also lived at the home, carrying multiple trash bags to the side of the house. Nocco said detectives went through those trash bags to find Cooke's dismembered remains.
Solis was arrested for felony murder after the Uber Eats driver's wedding ring and car keys were found inside the house, the sheriff explained.
Detectives said Solis is affiliated with the gang MS-13 in Indiana and has an extensive history of violent crimes.
"He’s a very violent individual," Nocco said. "Now, we have a hard-working guy, a loving husband who’s no longer with us because this violent individual killed him."
The sheriff's office is searching for any potential connection between Solis and Cooke that may have led to the delivery driver's murder.
Tuesday, Pasco County detectives were able to track down and interview two people seen exiting Solis' home about an hour before the murder.
Nocco described the murder as "a horrific crime of passion."
"This person, you always say the word evil, but this is demonic," Nocco said. "This individual is, what he did, was demonic."
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Pasco Sheriff's Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488, or online at PascoSheriff.com/tips.