HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Hillsborough County deputies arrested a 19-year-old man on first degree murder charges after linking him to a series of violent crimes over the course of several weeks.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said all three homicides 19-year-old Jerome Knight is charged with took place during drug deals.
The sheriff’s office said the crimes date back to Dec. 22 when just before midnight, detectives responded to a homicide at the Progress Village Recreational Center. When deputies arrived, they discovered a deceased male inside a vehicle in the parking lot.
About a month later on Jan. 21, detectives responded to a double homicide on Pelican Creek Circle in Riverview. The sheriff’s office said two bodies with upper body trauma were found outside a business.
Detectives were ultimately able to link Knight to all three shootings. Arrest warrants were issued for and the search for the 19-year-old was initiated.
Knight was located and arrested on Feb. 6 in Romulus, Michigan. He was transported back to Hillsborough County Monday, March 1.
“Despite Jerome Knight’s attempts to flee rather than face the consequences for his violent crimes, our detectives were able to find him and bring him to justice with the help of additional law enforcement agencies,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “As his actions have shown, this is a very violent individual.”
Two days before the Jan. 21 double homicide, deputies were called to the Circle K gas station at 11606 Balm Riverview Road for a shooting. The victim reportedly got into an argument with a man inside the store. The altercation turned physical when they both left the store, and detectives said the suspect, later determined to be Knight, allegedly grabbed a gun and shot into the other man’s window. The victim had two kids in the back seat, but no one was injured.
