The Hillsborough County police arrested a Cuban man this Saturday who murdered his partner, also Cuban, and another man in Tampa, Florida.
Lianet Sosa Santos, 31 years old, originally from the town of Sietecito, in the municipality of Sagua La Grande, Villa Clara, and mother of a five-year-old girl, was killed by her husband, Silvio Ramón Franco Peralta, also from Sagua, Félix Llerena, a relative of the victim, told CiberCuba.
"My family is in mourning, yesterday in Tampa, Florida, my cousin Liannet Sosa was murdered at the hands of her husband, she had a small girl. The criminal fled and also killed another person, he is already arrested. We will always remember you, my cousin, R.I.P.," Llerena wrote on his social media.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) reported on the social media platform X about the arrest of Franco, 35 years old, accused of murdering both individuals and then fleeing from the officers.
The agency released the videos from the officers' body cameras during the pursuit and detention of the suspect on Saturday afternoon.
"It is devastating to know that a five-year-old child will grow up without his mother due to the senseless violence of this evil man. His total disregard for human life has forever altered the lives of two families," said Sheriff Chad Chronister.
According to reports from local media, after 2:00 p.m., agents arrived at the 4800 block of Alvarado Drive in Tampa, in the Town 'N' Country community, after being notified of a deceased woman in a residence.
There they found Sosa with knife wounds in the upper part of her body; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
After committing the crime, Franco fled the scene in the victim's truck.
The HCSO reported that the individual later drove to 8710 N. Packwood Ave., within the city limits of Tampa, and at that residence, had a fight with another man, whom he also fatally stabbed. The identity of the male victim has not been revealed.
Tampa Police Department officers responded to that house after receiving a call about an aggravated assault. There, they found the victim with a trauma to the upper body; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities issued an alert about the vehicle driven by the suspect who, upon noticing the police presence, fled at high speed, leading to a chase through the streets of western Town 'N' Country.
The agents tried to stop him until they managed to hit him at the intersection of Montague Street and Declaration Road. Franco attempted to escape on foot but was arrested by the officers.
The detained person told the police that he went to the man's house and confessed to the murder of Sosa. Additionally, he asked for help to get rid of the weapon used and other belongings.
The victim refused to help him, a altercation broke out between them, and Franco stabbed him to death. The Cuban claimed that the other man had pulled out a firearm, but the evidence does not support his statement, the officers said.
Franco currently faces seven charges related to both crimes and facts concerning the persecution: two counts of first-degree murder, armed robbery in a residence with assault or injury, motor vehicle theft, aggravated fleeing to evade, driving with a canceled, suspended, or revoked license, and resisting an officer without violence.
However, the Tampa Police Department may file additional charges against him.
"I am proud of our agents for their quick actions. They used their training to prevent this dangerous man from causing further harm to our community and ensured that these families receive the justice they deserve," emphasized Sheriff Chronister.
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