TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Police have arrested and charged three teenagers in connection with a pair of early-morning attacks on July 13 that left a homeless man in critical condition.
The initial incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. in the 800 block of East MLK Boulevard. Police say three males approached a man in his mid-40s and a woman in her mid-30s who were resting in the area. The suspects began yelling at the pair and throwing rocks, striking the woman in the back of the head. She did not suffer serious injuries, and the encounter was not immediately reported to law enforcement.
At approximately 7:45 a.m. that same morning, officers on patrol found a man in his mid-60s lying unresponsive behind a closed business in the 3900 block of North Nebraska Avenue. The location sits less than a quarter-mile from the site of the earlier incident. The victim suffered a traumatic brain injury and was taken to a local hospital, where he remains on a ventilator in critical condition.
Detectives linked the two scenes after interviewing the victims of the 2:30 a.m. assault, who provided accounts that helped establish a timeline and descriptions of the suspects. An officer later identified the suspects using department-wide alerts as 13-year-old Samari Bryant, 14-year-old Corliss Sirmons, and 16-year-old Javonnie Council.
The three teens, along with an unnamed 16-year-old female, had already been taken into custody on July 13 regarding unrelated auto burglaries along Emma Street. During that arrest, officers recovered clothing and physical evidence that connected the suspects to both violent encounters. Police noted that preliminary findings indicate the group planned the attacks to target homeless individuals out of boredom.
On July 16, Bryant and Council were formally charged with Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Evidencing Prejudice, and Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon. Bryant was also charged with Battery and Exposure of Sexual Organs following an unrelated complaint made by a woman at a nearby park during his initial detention.
On July 21, Sirmons, who was already held at the Hillsborough Juvenile Detention Center on separate charges, was charged with Attempted Murder and two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Evidencing Prejudice.
All three suspects, along with the 16-year-old female who was not linked to the assaults, face six counts each of Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance related to the Emma Street vehicle break-ins.
“The fact that boredom is cited as a reason for criminal activity at any level, let alone attempted murder, is highly concerning, and those responsible will be held fully accountable,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “While many teens in our city actively participate in constructive, city and department-sponsored programs, there is simply no excuse for the senseless behavior demonstrated by this group.”
Authorities ask anyone with additional information about these cases to call the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 800-873-TIPS.
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