DADE CITY — An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with a Wednesday afternoon shooting that left a man dead and two children injured.
Demetrius Roberts, who was arrested Thursday on charges of being a delinquent in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon, now also faces a murder charge, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office reported on Saturday.
The shooting on Johns Road, off River Road in Dade City, was sparked by a fist fight between two female teens that escalated as family members and friends joined in, Maj. Jeffrey Peake with the sheriff’s office said at a news conference Wednesday.
The man who was killed was shot three times in the back and once in the abdomen, according to an arrest affidavit. A bullet also grazed the belly of his 11-year-old son. A 16-year-old girl also sustained gunshot wounds. Fourteen spent bullet casings were found at the scene.
A neighbor who called 911 supplied deputies with surveillance video from their home. It showed a group of people exiting a white Chevrolet Avalanche truck and confronting some of those already involved in the fight.
The footage shows one man firing a gun at another man who was walking away after he had brandished a gun but then put it away in the rear waistline of his shorts.
About 20 minutes after the shooting, a detective encountered two men, one of whom was Roberts, at the corner of Lock Street and 14th Avenue.
Detectives were able to use the detective’s body camera footage to identify Roberts, who is also known as “Red,” as the shooter in the home security video.
Julian Zayas, 19, was also arrested in connection with the shooting. Zayas pointed a gun at someone and threatened to shoot them, officials said. Detectives believe his actions contributed to the events of the shooting. He was charged with aggravated assault.
Sheriff’s officials did not release the name of the man who was killed or the two children who were injured.
