ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg detectives just tracked a man all the way to Illinois to put handcuffs on him, and now they’re worried he might have left a trail of victims across the Tampa Bay area.
It all started back in late November when a local woman met up with 21-year-old Joshua Abercrombie after connecting on a social media app.
What was supposed to be a standard date turned into a nightmare; police say Abercrombie turned aggressive, repeatedly choking and sexually assaulting the woman.
After building their case, Florida investigators headed north. On January 29, 2026, authorities in Will County, Illinois, picked up Abercrombie on an active warrant for sexual battery.
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While he’s currently sitting in a cell up north, the heavy lifting for the St. Petersburg Police Department is far from over.
Detectives have a gut feeling that this wasn’t an isolated incident. Because the pair met through a popular app, investigators are concerned that other women in the Bay Area might have had similar, terrifying encounters with Abercrombie but haven’t felt comfortable speaking up yet.
They are making a public plea for anyone with information to come forward, promising that tips can be handled confidentially. If you know anything or had a run-in with Abercrombie, you’re encouraged to call 727-893-7780 or text your tip to TIP411 by starting the message with “SPPD.”
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