TAMPA, Fla. – In a shocking incident on Sunday, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested Yoan Gonzalez Vazquez, 27, for a series of violent acts in Tampa.
Around 4 p.m., Vazquez, naked, jumped a fence into a backyard on Spence Avenue and attacked a 7-year-old girl playing on a trampoline. The girl’s mother and neighbors intervened, and Vazquez fled.
Deputies found Vazquez hiding under a porch near Kimball Avenue and Harold Avenue. It was later discovered that after fleeing the first residence, Vazquez broke into another home and stabbed an 81-year-old man. The victim is currently hospitalized.
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Vazquez was taken to Tampa General Hospital for evaluation and then booked into Orient Road Jail.
“I can’t imagine the terror this mother must have felt as she watched a violent man lay hands on her child,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “The bravery shown by her and the neighbors who intervened to rescue this girl is heroic.”
He faces multiple charges, including two counts of Burglary with Battery and one count of Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon. Additional charges may be filed.
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“This individual evil actions targeted both a child and an elderly person, showed the disregard for human life,” said Sheriff Chronister. “Thanks to our deputies’ swift response, this man will face the consequences of his actions and answer for the harm and trauma he has caused these families.”
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