Current:Home > StocksA Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them. -VisionFunds
A Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them.
View
Date:2025-04-12 19:10:06
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! (393)
Related
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Princess Kate, King Charles have cancer: A timeline of the royal family's biggest moments
- What's in a name? Maybe a higher stock. Trump's Truth Social to trade under his initials
- March Madness picks: Our Sunday bracket predictions for 2024 NCAA women's tournament
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Once a decorative darling, the invasive – and pungent – Bradford pear tree is on the outs
- Stock symbols you'll LUV. Clever tickers help companies attract investors.
- Museum, historical group launch search for wreckage of ace pilot Richard Bong’s crashed plane
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- TikTok’s Favorite Hair Wax Stick Is Only $7 Right Now: Get Influencer-Level Sleek Ponytails and Buns
Ranking
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Nevada regulators fine Laughlin casino record $500,000 for incidents involving security officers
- Pharmacist and her license were targeted by scammers. How to avoid becoming a victim.
- When does UFL start? 2024 season of merged USFL and XFL kicks off March 30
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- These 10 Amazon Deals Are All Under $10 and Have Thousands of 5-Star Reviews From Happy Shoppers
- King Charles III and Princess Kate have cancer. What they've said, what to know
- Pawn shops know something about the US economy that Biden doesn't: Times are still tough
Recommendation
How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
Grand Canyon gets first March Madness win, is eighth double-digit seed to reach second round
Juries find 2 men guilty of killing a 7-year-old boy in 2015 street shooting
Women’s March Madness live updates: Today’s games and schedule, how to watch and stream
Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
March Madness games today: Everything to know about NCAA Tournament schedule Saturday
Erin Andrews Details Lowest Moments From Crappy 10-Year Fertility Journey
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files motion to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson over spending deal