Current:Home > NewsA Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them. -AssetLink
A Florida couple won $3,300 at the casino. Two men then followed them home and shot them.
View
Date:2025-04-24 14:45:27
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! (3)
Related
- Drones warned New York City residents about storm flooding. The Spanish translation was no bueno
- Republicans make gains in numerous state legislatures. But Democrats also notch a few wins
- What to watch: We're mad about Mikey
- College Football Playoff elimination games: Which teams desperately need Week 11 win?
- Oklahoma parole board recommends governor spare the life of man on death row
- Husband of missing San Antonio mom of 4 Suzanne Simpson charged with murder
- These Chunky Chic Jewelry Styles From Frank Darling Are Fall’s Must-Have Fashion Staple to Wear on Repeat
- Beyoncé is the leading nominee for 2025 Grammys with 11 nods, becoming most nominated ever
- 9/11 hearings at Guantanamo Bay in upheaval after surprise order by US defense chief
- Wife of southern Illinois judge charged in his fatal shooting, police say
Ranking
- Drones warned New York City residents about storm flooding. The Spanish translation was no bueno
- Winter storm smacks New Mexico, could dump several feet of snow
- $70,000 engagement ring must be returned after canceled wedding, Massachusetts high court rules
- DB Wealth Institute Introduce
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- 3 dead, including the suspect, after shooting in Pennsylvania apartment and 40-mile police chase
- Billie Eilish addresses Donald Trump win: 'Someone who hates women so, so deeply'
- Trump beat Harris in a landslide. Will his shy voters feel emboldened?
Recommendation
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Here's what you need to know to prep for Thanksgiving
Rashida Jones honors dad Quincy Jones after his death: 'Your love lives forever'
Kelly Ripa Reveals the NSFW Bathroom Décor She’s Been Gifted
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Kelly Ripa Reveals the NSFW Bathroom Décor She’s Been Gifted
Mikey Madison wanted to do sex work 'justice' in 'Anora.' An Oscar could be next.
A Fed rate cut may be coming, but it may be too small for Americans to notice