Inside HCSO: Unsolved Homicide, Grandparents Mugged, Rising Stars

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has posted its fourth installment of “Inside HCSO,” a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement investigations, arrests, community outreach and events.

Below is a quick guide to what you’ll see with a viewing of the installment, which runs about 12 minutes.

Tractor-Trailer Plunges Off Interstate 75

The deputy’s rescue of the driver of a tractor-trailer pulling a bulldozer, who with his vehicle plunged 45 feet off Interstate 75 over the Alafia River. The driver “remarkably” was not hurt. The sheriff’s dive team assisted tow-truck crews in removing the wreckage. 

Riverview Mugging Of Grandparents In Town For Graduation

A 77-year-od woman and her 80-year-old husband missed their grandson’s high school graduation after an incident at the Goolsby Pointe Publix-anchored shopping center in Riverview.  The 911 call received noted a “mugging, here in the parking lot,” involving a man who “reached into the SUV” and grabbed the woman’s purse. The woman, from Ohio, held on and her husband, attempting to help, reportedly was knocked down and was bleeding. The woman broke her arm and both were treated at the hospital. The report adds that surveillance video aided in the arrest of the alleged robber, Andy James Griffiths, three days later. The woman’s purse and its contents were burned. Her cell phone had been tossed to the side of the road

Unsolved Homicide

Sgt. Chris Baumann asks for the community’s help in solving an unsolved homicide that occurred more than 20 years ago. Cynthia Wheaton, 27, was found dead May 15, 1990, after a bulldozer operator clearing a field discovered her body in a wooded area, south of Lutz Lake Fern Road an east of Gunn Highway. The woman, a manager at the Tex-Mex Cantina, was last seen there 11 days earlier. Her car was found a day after her body was discovered, at the Lake Magdalene Arms apartment complex. Call in tips to the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8655. Report to Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS. Or, text “CSTB” plus your tip to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).

Suspect Sought, Last Seen In Riverview

Capt. Marvin Johnson seeks the public’s help in locating Cesar Enrique Figueroa, last seen at Windermere Park Circle in Riverview. He is a suspect wanted for kidnapping, aggravated battery and grand theft. Call in tips to the sheriff’s warrants office, at 813-247-0735. Report to Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS. Or, text “CSTB” plus your tip to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).

Storage Units Crime Spree In Town 'N Country

More than 180 storage units at five locations have been hit in the Town ‘N Country area, with surveillance footage shown of a crime in progress at Uncle Bob’s Storage on West Hillsborough Ave. 

Dillard's Purse-Snatchers   

Caught on camera are the women involved in the May 29 heist of expensive purses from the Dillard's at Westfield Citrus Park. The heist was worth about $3,100.

School Bus Driver's Purse Snatching

Caught on camera, a man on a bike who snatches a school bus driver's purse on Yorkshire Drive.

2013 HCSO Charity Fishing Tournament

The “best ever” turnout for the 2013 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Charity Fishing Tournament netted some $17,500 for the benefiting charity, the Judeo-Christian Health Clinic, said Major Sankar Montoute. The event was held at The Bay Club at Westshore Yacht Club. The grand-slam winner received a check for $200.

Protect Your Identity With 'Operation Shredding'

Want to help protect your identity? Operation Shredding, in conjunction with ABC Action News, is scheduled for June 29, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is no charge. For information, call: 813-354-2828.

Teen Driver Safety In Lithia

Get a discount on your auto insurance while teaching your teen driver to stay safe on the road. New Teen Driver Challenge classes get under way July 18 at the Walter C. Heinrich Practical Training Site on State Road 39 in Lithia. For information, visit the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office online.

Rising Stars Academy Graduation

At the Rising Stars Academy, high school students spend a week learning about life and leadership and what it’s like to work for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Shooting classes and a high-speed chase in the fields are among the hands-on events. A graduation ceremony was held at which each incoming high school senior graduate received a $1,000 scholarship. This year’s class was comprised of 33 students from local high schools. “It’s very hard to choose now,” who gets to attend the academy, because “we have so many applicants,” said Chad Chronister.

Tearing It Down To Clean Up The Community

Through the Nuccio Heat operation, the sheriff's office demolished a house on 47th Street that was a "sore spot in the neighborhood" and "used at one point for a hangout for criminals."