According to police, evidence suggests the teens were lured to a location for a possible narcotics deal when a robbery attempt escalated to a shooting.
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police have arrested two men in connection to a December shooting that left a 17-year-old boy dead and another shot.
Patrick Latson, 24, and Jordanis Castillo Durand, 22, were each charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. Latson is facing an additional charge of resisting an officer without violence, while Durand is facing an aggravated battery charge.
Officers responded just before midnight on Dec. 19 to reports of a shooting on E. 114th Avenue. They arrived to find two 17-year-old boys with gunshot wounds.
Despite life-saving efforts, Adrian Aguila died at the scene. The second teen was transported to the hospital for a gunshot wound to his leg and a head injury sustained during a physical assault. He has since been released.
In December, police said the evidence suggested “this was not a random incident.”
Investigators at the scene of the shooting said they recovered multiple shell casings and an AK-style rifle magazine from beneath a 2013 Honda Civic that was driven by the teen boys. They also reportedly found spent casings and narcotics inside the car.
According to police, evidence suggests the teens were lured to a location for a possible narcotics deal when a robbery attempt escalated to a shooting.
On Jan. 13, Tampa police and the US Marshals Task Force went to a home on E. 29th Avenue where Latson was believed to be hiding. After they spotted Latson in the front yard, authorities said he attempted to flee on foot but was quickly taken into custody just before 4 p.m.
Investigators said they determined Castillo Durand had fled Florida for Houston, Texas. Tampa police worked with the US Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, which reportedly determined Castillo Durand was hiding in a vacant apartment.
Texas authorities apprehended Castillo Durand on Jan. 22. He is being held in Houston as he awaits extradition back to Tampa.