Current:Home > MarketsA Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them. -Ascend Wealth Education
A Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them.
Fastexy View
Date:2025-04-06 04:00:55
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! (7)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Program that brought Ukrainians to North Dakota oil fields ends
- Lead-tainted cinnamon has been recalled. Here’s what you should know
- A St. Louis driver has been found guilty in a crash that severed a teen athlete’s legs
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- A Saudi business is leaving Arizona valley after it was targeted by the state over groundwater use
- How Barry Keoghan Paid Tribute to Sabrina Carpenter at Pre-Oscars 2024 Parties
- The Rock joining Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 40 match against Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Deal Alert: Get 25% Off Celeb-Loved Kiehl’s Skincare Products in Their Exclusive Friends & Family Sale
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- What restaurants are open Easter 2024? McDonald's, Cracker Barrel, Red Lobster, more
- Missed the State of the Union 2024? Watch replay videos of Biden's address and the Republican response
- Utah troopers stop 12-year-old driver with tire spikes and tactical maneuvers
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- How Black women coined the ‘say her name’ rallying cry before Biden’s State of the Union address
- Homeowners in these 10 states are seeing the biggest gains in home equity
- The total solar eclipse is one month away on April 8: Here's everything to know about it
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Psst! Coach Outlet Secretly Added Hundreds of New Bags to Their Clearance Section and We're Obsessed
Ancestry reveals Taylor Swift is related to American poet Emily Dickinson
The Most Shocking Moments in Oscars History, From Will Smith's Slap to La La Land's Fake Win
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
When an eclipse hides the sun, what do animals do? Scientists plan to watch in April
Sheldon Johnson, Joe Rogan podcast guest, arrested after body parts found in freezer
Labor market tops expectations again: 275,000 jobs added in February