TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa man who initially told police he opened fire during a roadway dispute to protect himself is now behind bars, facing a second-degree murder charge.
Authorities arrested 31-year-old Joel Moreno Cobo on Wednesday night, nearly a week after the shooting death of Dedrick Sykes, a 41-year-old local figure known as “DJ Shy Guy.” While Cobo insisted at the scene that the shooting was justified, investigators say the physical evidence and witness accounts tell a different story.
The incident unfolded on the night of November 14 at the intersection of East 5th Avenue and North 22nd Street in Ybor City. Police responding to the scene found Sykes lying between two parked cars with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but did not survive.
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Cobo, who remained at the scene, told officers the shooting was an act of self-defense following a traffic altercation. However, detectives determined that Sykes was unarmed and had made no threats against Cobo prior to the shooting.
According to the investigation, the dispute began when Cobo, driving a BMW, was blocked at a stop sign by an SUV. Police say Cobo flashed his lights to urge the driver to move. As traffic shifted, Sykes, who was driving a Jeep Cherokee, pulled forward. Following a brief shouting match between the two men, Sykes’ Jeep came to an abrupt stop.
Sykes stepped out of his vehicle, and shots rang out within seconds. The weapon, which Cobo carried in a waistband holster, was seized at the scene.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw addressed the time gap between the shooting and the arrest, noting that detectives needed time to disprove the self-defense claim.
“Justice is rooted in evidence, and that has guided our entire investigation,” Bercaw said. “This arrest is the direct result of patience and precision, ensuring that we could bring a suspect into custody and provide fact-based answers to a grieving family.”
Cobo was arrested at his home shortly after 7 p.m. on November 20 and booked into the Orient Road Jail. He is currently being held without bond.
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