TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man visiting the area from Spain is accused of murdering a man in broad daylight last week, according to an affidavit from the Tampa Police Department.
Diego Ponce Molina, a 41-year-old Spanish national on vacation, was arrested after calling the police shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday to report that he had found a dead body near the train tracks at 808 E Zack Street.
According to the affidavit, Ponce Molina was found standing next to the man’s body holding a knife that was covered in blood. He also had a cut on one of his fingers and blood on his pants.
The deceased man, who has not been identified by authorities, was found with multiple stab wounds to his upper body.
Officers found a backpack nearby with a receipt inside for two knives purchased three days earlier on April 7. One was in the defendant’s hand when police arrived, and the other was in his pocket, the affidavit said.
Investigators later viewed surveillance video from a nearby camera, which showed Ponce Molina walking by the victim twice before approaching him. For unknown reasons, he then leans down and attacks the victim, making “large swings down towards where the victim was lying on the ground.”
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After the seemingly unprovoked attack, Ponce Molina called family members and then 911, reporting that he had found a dead body.
The affidavit said there is no evidence of any interactions or confrontations between the two men before the attack.
Ponce Molina had been charged with first-degree murder, a capital felony.
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