Current:Home > ScamsA Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them. -Wealth Harmony Labs
A Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them.
View
Date:2025-04-28 00:10:39
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! (995)
Related
- The 'Rebel Ridge' trailer is here: Get an exclusive first look at Netflix movie
- Baltimore man accused of killing tech CEO pleads guilty to attempted murder in separate case
- Mega Millions winning numbers for August 23 drawing; Jackpot soars to $575 million
- These Wizard of Oz Secrets Will Make You Feel Right at Home
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Bachelor Nation's Kaitlyn Bristowe Alludes to Tension With Tayshia Adams Over Zac Clark
- Taylor Swift Praises Charli XCX Amid Feud Rumors
- Katherine Schwarzenegger Reveals What Daughter Eloise Demands From Chris Pratt
- Paris Olympics live updates: Quincy Hall wins 400m thriller; USA women's hoops in action
- Sven-Goran Eriksson, Swedish soccer coach who was first foreigner to lead England team, dies at 76
Ranking
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- The Bachelorette’s Andi Dorfman and Husband Blaine Hart Reveal Sex of First Baby
- Timeline of Gateway Church exodus, allegations following claims against Robert Morris
- 'First one to help anybody': Missouri man drowns after rescuing 2 people in lake
- Immigration issues sorted, Guatemala runner Luis Grijalva can now focus solely on sports
- Zoë Kravitz says Beyoncé was 'so supportive' of that 'Blink Twice' needle drop
- Ex-Florida deputy charged with manslaughter in shooting of U.S. Airman Roger Fortson
- The Sweet Detail Justin Bieber Chose for Baby Jack's Debut With Hailey Bieber
Recommendation
FBI: California woman brought sword, whip and other weapons into Capitol during Jan. 6 riot
Double-duty Danny Jansen plays for both teams in one MLB game. Here’s how
US national parks are receiving record-high gift of $100M
Lea Michele Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 2 With Husband Zandy Reich
Louisiana high court temporarily removes Judge Eboni Johnson Rose from Baton Rouge bench amid probe
Harris and Trump are having a new squabble over their upcoming debate, this time about muted mics
Latino voting rights group calls for investigation after Texas authorities search homes
Hiker's body found in Grand Canyon after flash floods; over 100 airlifted to safety