Current:Home > StocksA Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them. -Elevate Money Guide
A Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them.
View
Date:2025-04-15 20:33:37
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! (7836)
Related
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, ...er...er
- At least 55 arrested after clashes with police outside Israeli Consulate in Chicago during DNC
- Beware of these potential fantasy football busts, starting with Texans WR Stefon Diggs
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Kansas mom sentenced to life in prison after her 2-year-old son fatally shot her 4-year-old daughter
- House of Villains Trailer Teases Epic Feud Between Teresa Giudice and Tiffany New York Pollard
- Bears almost made trade for Matthew Judon; 'Hard Knocks' showcases near-deal
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Sicily Yacht Sinking: 4 Bodies Recovered From the Wreckage By Divers
Ranking
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Court docs allege ex-NFL player urinated on plane passenger for 20 seconds, refused to depart flight
- Utah lawsuit seeks state control over vast areas of federal land
- Hunter Biden’s lawyers, prosecutors headed back to court ahead of his trial on federal tax charges
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Michigan doctor charged with taking photos and videos of naked children and adults
- Montana asbestos clinic seeks to reverse $6M in fines, penalties over false claims
- 7-year-old found safe after boat capsizes on fishing trip; her 2 grandfathers found dead
Recommendation
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
The price of gold is at a record high. Here’s why
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Split: Look Back at Their Great Love Story
Social Security's 2025 COLA: Retirees in these 10 states will get the biggest raises next year
Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
Canadian freight trains could stop moving Thursday. If they do, many businesses will be hurt
Kentucky’s new education chief promotes ambitious agenda
Taylor Swift Shares Eras Tour Backstage Footage in I Can Do It With a Broken Heart Music Video