CLEARWATER
POLICE ARREST MURDER SUSPECT
Clearwater
police have arrested a 18-year-old Clearwater man for murder
and attempted murder in connection with two separate May 4 shooting
incidents in the city, Police Chief Sid Klein announced today.
The
man is also suspected in several recent armed robberies in the
area.
Christopher
Edward Harris (W/M, Date of Birth 07/26/81) of 2100 Nursery
Road, Apt. D-10, Clearwater, was taken into custody around 3:15
p.m. yesterday at the home of an acquaintance at 1352 Hamlet
Ave., Clearwater. He is currently being held without bond in
the Pinellas County Jail on charges of First Degree Murder and
Attempted Murder.
This
afternoon detectives also added robbery charges for an unrelated
crime that occurred last month.
Harris
is charged for the fatal shooting of Cesar Perez Hernandez (H/M
Date of Birth 08/27/79) of 24985 US 19 North, Clearwater. Hernandez
was shot in the neck at about 10:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 4,
2000, while driving in his car near the intersection of Rainbow
Drive and South Starcrest Drive in Clearwater. Hernandez was
pronounced dead shortly thereafter at Morton Plant Hospital.
Harris
is also charged for the shooting of Danielle Laprease (W/F Date
of Birth 03/25/78) of 12033 106th Street North, Largo.
Laprease was shot in the neck about an hour later while she
and a friend were driving in her car on South Missouri Avenue
between Belleair Road and Lakeview Road in Clearwater. However,
she is recovering from her injuries.
Details
of the incidents are still being investigated. However, at this
point detectives have found no previous connection between Harris
and either of his victims. Both incidents appear to have been
triggered by Harris’s belief that the two victims had cut him
off in traffic.
Police
received an anonymous tip that led them to Harris and two other
persons who were present at the time of both shootings. However,
they are considered witnesses and their identities are not being
released at this time.
Police
have located the gun they believe was used in both incidents,
as well as other physical evidence that is currently being analyzed.
Harris
has also been charged for the Home Invasion Robbery of an elderly
couple that occurred just before midnight on April 10, 2000,
at their residence at Hillcrest Mobile Home Park, 2346 E. Druid
Rd., Clearwater. Henry D. Hamill (W/M Date of Birth 08/03/28)
and his wife Shirley G. Hamill (W/F 04/30/25) were robbed at
gunpoint. Police say Harris forced his way into their residence
and took cash and jewelry. Mr. Hamill suffered minor injuries
from being struck with the gun; Mrs. Hamill suffered minor injuries
from being knocked down.
Investigations
into several other recent robberies are continuing and additional
charges are pending.
These
cases were part of a busy week for Clearwater officers. Two
other unrelated murders also occurred within a seven-day period.
At
about 8:45 a.m. on Friday, April 28, 2000, the body of a partially
clothed woman was found near the Rio Motel at 1488 Gulf to Bay
Blvd. She was subsequently identified as Marion L. ("Missy")
Cato (W/F Date of Birth 01/10/69), a local resident with no
permanent address. Her death has been attributed to upper body
trauma.
And
at about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2000, Mark. A. Taylor
(W/M Date of Birth 12/19/60) was killed by two as-yet-unidentified
persons who forced their way into his apartment at 1007-1/2
N. Osecola Ave., Clearwater. His death has also been attributed
to upper body trauma. His girlfriend, Veronica Weaver (W/F Date
of Birth 02/16/64) was also injured in the attack but she was
treated and released that same night.
No
arrests have been made in the Cato or Taylor homicides and those
investigations are continuing. Police do not believe these two
cases are related.
For
more than a week, all personnel in the police department’s Criminal
Investigations Division—along with additional support from the
Patrol Division—have been assigned around the clock to these
four investigations. Literally hundreds of people have been
interviewed and hundreds of leads have been followed-up.
Police
say they will continue their intensive deployment of resources
until the other two investigations are concluded.
"We
got the break we needed in these two shootings and the robbery,"
said detective Captain Jeff Patterson. "But we believe
we got that break because of the total commitment and dedication
of all of our investigators working as a team."
Patterson
extended the department’s thanks to that anonymous citizen who
provided the information that broke the case. "It’s the
kind of help from the public that the police always hope they
will get in any case. We’re hoping that another good citizen
will call us on the other two murders."
Anyone having information on the Missy Cato killing
is asked to call Det. Clarence Calloway at 727-562-4317. Anyone
having information on the Mark Taylor murder is asked to call
Det. Dan Slaughter at 727-562-4316. Information on either case
may be emailed to tips@myclearwater.com.
Anyone
needing additional information is asked to contact the Acting
Public Information Officer, Sergeant Doug Griffith at 727-562-4303,
or email dgriffith@clearwaterpolice.org..
/s/
SID KLEIN
Chief of Police