Tampa police have arrested in man in connection with the shooting death of a popular local DJ during an apparent traffic dispute in Ybor City last week.
Joel Moreno Cobo, 31, was arrested Thursday on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Dedrick Sykes, 41.
Tampa police took Cobo into custody at his home after securing a warrant for for his arrest, according to a news release the department issued Thursday evening.
“Justice is rooted in evidence, and that has guided our entire investigation,” police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “This arrest is the direct result of patience and precision, ensuring that we could bring a suspect into custody, and provide fact-based answers to a grieving family as they navigate this difficult time.”
Some community leaders and friends of Sykes had urged police to release the name of the shooter more quickly, which the department declined to do, citing a need to “ensure the integrity of the investigation.” Police also had said that rumors that the shooter worked in local law enforcement were not true.
Sykes, whose stage name was “DJ ShyGuy,” was shot near the intersection of East Fifth Avenue and North 22nd Street in Ybor City.
Officers responded to the area just after 7 p.m. that day after receiving reports of a shot fired. They found a black BMW sedan and a red Jeep Grand Cherokee on the scene. Sykes, who had been shot once, was on the ground between the cars. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Police determined that Cobo was the shooter. He had remained on scene and had a gun in a holster on his waistband, which officers took into evidence, the news release states.
Police described Cobo as “cooperative” and said he claimed self defense. Police launched an investigation that the news release describes as “methodical” and that included talking to witnesses and gathering more evidence.
Police determined that Cobo had been driving the BWM and was at a stop sign on Fifth Avenue. A woman in an SUV was blocking his path, so he flashed his lights. Sykes was in the Jeep Cherokee, which was behind the SUV, police said.
The woman driving the SUV moved forward, as did Sykes, who turned west onto Fifth.
“A brief verbal altercation took place between Moreno Cobo and Skyes at that time, before Sykes’ Jeep came to an abrupt stop,” the police news release states. “Witness statements corroborate that Sykes, who was not armed, had exited his car and within seconds, gunfire was heard and Sykes fell to the ground. The investigation further revealed that Sykes did not make any threats, nor did he make any implication suggesting he was armed.”
Cobo was taken to the Orient Road Jail Thursday. Bail information was not immediately available.
A Lakeland native who lived in Riverview, Sykes started working as a DJ when he was 14 years old and specialized in a range of appearances including corporate events, private parties and live shows, according to his website and Facebook page. He was a DJ at 7th and Grove for more than six years, a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page said.
“Thank you for sharing the gift of joy every time you pressed the ‘on’ button,” said the post, which featured a video of Sykes playing music and dancing with patrons at the restaurant. “Thank you for always smiling always pushing ‘positive vibes only.’”
Sykes’ friends were stunned by his death.
Ashley Gooden said that he had worked as a DJ for her family for more than eight years. He was mild-mannered and calm, she said.
“Everybody loves him,” she said. “His nickname was ‘ShyGuy’ for a reason.”