The unexplained killings began Oct. 9 with the shooting of Benjamin Mitchell, 22. About two days later, Monica Hoffa, 32, was shot. On Oct. 19, Anthony Naiboa, 20, was gunned down. And Ronald Felton, 60, was killed Nov. 14.
Dugan said police received more than 5,000 tips, and they?re treating this one like any other.
He?s optimistic, he said, because of "the way things are progressing."
"We?ve had that before and unfortunately, it?s led to nothing," Dugan said. "I?m guarded because I?ve been on this road before. It?s day 51 that we?ve been doing this. It?s been two weeks since Ronald Felton was murdered. It?s been a long time for the families and the cops and so I?m guarded on the whole thing but I?m very optimistic.
"There?s a lot to go through, a lot to sift through and it?s going to take many things to fall in line."
Gail Rogers, who has worked at the McDonald?s for four years, said the employee police took in for questioning is in his 20s and was driving the red car, possibly his father?s car. He has worked at the restaurant for just four months, she said.
Rogers said the man walked into the restaurant wearing his McDonald?s uniform and gave the manager a loaded 9mm handgun and asked him to hold it for him. Then the man walked to Amscot to get a payday loan, Rogers said. She does not know if he was working that day.
The manager didn?t know what to do with the gun. Rogers said she huddled with the manager and said she told him to alert an officer inside the restaurant. A female officer was sitting there doing paperwork.
The manager told the officer about the gun. The officer called for backup and the employee was approached by Tampa police as he walked back into the McDonald?s parking lot.
As word of the police activity spread, one victim?s relative came to the McDonald?s.
"I just want to see what?s going on," said Casimar Naiboa, whose son was killed.
"I want to know what is happening. I want to see this guy behind bars."
Naiboa expressed cautious optimism.
"You are excited, but don?t want to be disappointed," he said.
Bettie McDaniels, the aunt of murder victim Benjamin Mitchell, said she is "waiting for police to say they really got him" before making any major statement.
"I hope it is him, but I am waiting to see," she said. "I just hope it is the Lord?s will that they catch him," she said.
Kenny Hoffa, father of murder victim Monica Hoffa, said he had spoken with Dugan and Det. Austin Hill and that they told him they were "optimistic" that the man picked up at McDonald?s is connected to the killing of his daughter.
"I have faith in Tampa police and Chief Dugan," said Hoffa, 52. "I am just going to wait and see what they have to say."
"I am nervous, and I really, I want this to be the end of this, " he said. "It is like riding a roller coaster right before you go over the edge and you feel your stomach raise up in your face."
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Originally Posted by Miller22
