ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Months after a devastating crash on 5th Avenue South claimed two lives, a Clearwater man has been arrested and charged. George Phillip Aponte, 45, was taken into custody shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Aponte faces two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. The charges stem from the tragic collision on October 15, 2024, that resulted in the deaths of motorist Shakesha Desence, then 35, and her passenger, Dilean Desence, then 72.
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The incident occurred shortly before 5 p.m. when a Honda CR-V, driven by Shakesha Desence, was making a left-hand turn onto 5th Avenue South from 20th Street South and collided with a westbound tow truck.
Shakesha Desence was transported from the St. Petersburg scene to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Dilean Desence died at the scene.
A second passenger in the Honda, Shakesha’s 9-year-old son and Dilean’s grandson, was critically injured and rushed to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He has since been released and continues to recover from his injuries.
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According to the initial update released on October 16, 2024, the driver of the tow truck remained at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation, which remained ongoing until Aponte’s arrest today.
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