The 2011 year started off with great promise, as no African Americans were murdered during the first three months. However, Sabrina Broxton became the first African American homicide of 2011.
Below is a month-by-month recap of the murders of African Americans in Tampa and Hillsborough County.
Of the 23 murders of African Americans in 2011 attributed to violence, 15 of the cases were solved with the arrest of the person or persons responsible.
Overall in Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa, there were 35 homicides.
JANUARY 2011
On January 12, 2011, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies arrested William Henry Sanders for the 2001 murder of Sabrina Hayes.
APRIL 2011
SABRINA BROXTON (Pictured, right)
On April 3, 2011, Sabrina Broxton became the first African American homicide victim of the year.
Broxton 24, was standing in front of a house in Carver City when she intervened in a dispute between her boyfriend and Antonio King. Police said King and Broxton started fighting, the fight was broken up, and King went into his house, returned with a handgun, and fired into a crowd of people, striking Broxton.
King was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Courtney Yates
On April 9, 2011, Courtney Yates, 32, begged for his life before Jontavis Williams, 23, shot him three times.
Williams turned himself in for the shooting and was charged with first-degree murder.
On April 13, 2011, Nakysha Hamilton, 23, and her boyfriend, Leon Stevenson, Jr., were arguing over bills when Stevenson reportedly struck Hamilton and threw her to the floor. Stevenson later told police he woke up later and notice Hamilton was not moving and gasping for air. He put her in his car, drove to her mother’s house, and left her outside where she was found dead.
Police charged Stevenson with second-degree murder.
MAY 2011
On May 8th, Walter “JJ” Revear was shot to death as he tried to break up a fight at the Interstate Lounge.
Revear, 28, was at the lounge with his sister and other family members and friends when the shooting occurred.
Jimmy Lee Cruz, 33, was later arrested and charged in the shooting.
On May 18th, Damarcus Kirklalnd-Williams, 21, was charged with the death of 13-month-old Ezekiel Mathis.
Kirkland-Williams told police he was angry with the child’s mother and intended to throw the toddler onto the bed. However, the child’s stomach struck a dresser.
JUNE 2011
On June 1st, Charles Daniels, Jr., 39, was found shot to death in the driveway of his home.
Daniels was the father of four children. No arrests have been made in his murder.
During the early morning hours of June 5th, Kiara Brito, 16, and her brother, Jeremi Brito, 13, were shot to death in their South Tampa home during a home invasion.
Charles Waits, 19, and Tavari Grant, 18, were charged with first-degree murder in the shootings.
JULY 2011
Nicole Rene Williams
On the 4th of July, Egan Fernando Atkins was charged with stabbing his ex-wife to death, Nicole Rene Williams, as she slept.
Police said Atkins broke into the home through a window, armed himself with a kitchen knife, and stabbed Williams.
On July 9th, police arrested Ayana Brown, 21, and charged her with the murder of James “Pops” Frazier, 83.
Frazier was found dead in a room at the Haven Motel on Nebraska Avenue.
On July 30th, Iesha Washington, 18, and Craig Thompson, 22 were shot to death as they were attending a party.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that a fight broke out during the party, and bullets starting flying.
Tyrell Bragg, 21 was charged with the murder of Washington. No arrest has been made in the shooting death of Thompson.[private]
SEPTEMBER 2011
On Monday, September 19th, it was announced that Ms. Tina Toney Lark, 44, and a day care operator, had been arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Police said the parents of De’Arron Deshazier left him in the care of Ms. Lark at her home daycare on August 1st.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call in reference to a child being unresponsive and not breathing. The child was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
OCTOBER 2011
On October 2nd, Club Empire in Ybor City was closing and patrons were leaving when an unknown gunman fatally shot Leslie Jerome Jones, Jr., 20, and wounded Ahmaud Black, 19.
The shootings caused an outrage among the citizens of Tampa who picketed in front of the club, demanding it be shut down.
The owner of the club did permanently close the club a few weeks later, saying attendance had fallen off.
No arrests have been made in the shootings.
On October 12th, the owner of Sam’s Food Mart went into the store and found his clerk and sister-in-law, Marilyn Tejada, 53, on the floor with a gunshot wound to her upper body. She was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead the next day.
No arrests have been made in her shooting.
On October 29th, John Singleton, Jr. and a friend went to a birthday party at the Unique Island Grill on 34th Street and Lake Avenue.
Tampa Police said there were about 60 people inside the building for the party when a fight started. Several people were ejected from the party, but police said the fight continued outside.
When Singleton went outside where the fight was occurring, he was shot. The 17-year-old Tampa Bay Vo-Tech junior died later at a local hospital.
No arrests have been made in the shooting at this time.
NOVEMBER 2011
On November 6th, Jamarie Lavon Hodges,16, left the comfort of his home on East Ellicott Street, and went outside to help a friend who was involved in a fight.
Police said as Hodges was trying to help his friend, someone fired several shots from a handgun, killing him.
Police later arrested Jose Torres-Melvin, 19, on a charge of first-degree murder.
On November 9th, Tampa Police got a call of a domestic dispute in the 300 block of East Woodlawn.
When officers arrived, they found Charon Shaw, 39, shot. He was transported to a local hospital with nine gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead.
Police said Damien Townes fired the fatal shots, and he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
According to reports, Leah Waring called 9-1-1 to report that she and Shaw were involved in a domestic incident. Waring told police Shaw was her former boyfriend. Townes was identified as Waring’s current boyfriend.
On November 12th, Plant City Police arrested 18-year-old Abel C. Dimas and charged him with the murder of 51-year-old Laronia Bowers, and the attempted murder of 59-year-old Edward Mincey.
Dimas was arrested during a traffic stop, and police said he was the passenger inside of a vehicle that matched an SUV seen leaving the area after the shootings. Police also arrested Javier Castillo.
Later that same evening, Plant City Police were called to 506 East Ohio Street. When they arrived, they entered the residence and found the bodies of a man and woman who appeared to have suffered fatal injuries.
The victims were later identified as Faye Kitchen, 50, and Shannon Thomas, 33. No arrests have been made for the shootings.[/private]
