Florida authorities are searching for a "violent and dangerous criminal" who they say injected a victim with fentanyl against his will, binding him with duct tape and stabbing him in an attempted murder last week.
The incident happened Monday evening in Tampa when two suspects conspired and attempted to kill a known associate who they believed would report their illegal activities to police, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
The two suspects forced the victim into the bathroom of a home on the 5300 block of Garden Lane, where they attacked and bound him, according to investigators.
The victim survived the attack and was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where he is in stable condition, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators identified and arrested one of the suspects, 44-year-old Ciriaco DelaCruz. He faces multiple charges including attempted first-degree murder with a weapon.
The second suspect is known only as "TC" at this time, according to detectives, who say the suspect is transient and believed to be near Hillsborough Avenue and North Habana Avenue.
Deputies described "TC" as a white Hispanic male, approximately 28 to 33 years old, 6-feet tall, with a thin build, short black hair and a short black beard. The suspect is believed to have at least two tattoos, including a flame on his neck and a five-point star on one of his arms.
"This is a violent and dangerous criminal that needs to be found and arrested," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a written statement.
Authorities urged the public not to approach "TC" and instead call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200 with information on his whereabouts.
