Teen girl shot dead in Spring Hill, Florida — 19-year-old boyfriend arrested
Victoria Perez, 16, was found shot dead on a roadside in Spring Hill, Pasco County. Her boyfriend, Robert Timmons, 19, has been arrested.
Spring Hill teen found shot on roadside, boyfriend held on suspicion of murder
Victoria Perez, a 16-year-old girl reported missing from the Shady Hills area of Pasco County, was found dead on the side of a road in Spring Hill on Sunday morning, fox13news.com reports. Her boyfriend, Robert Timmons, 19, was arrested shortly after detectives identified her body.
Pasco County Sheriff Jeff Harrington said Perez's body was discovered near Crela Drive at just before 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, dumped approximately 15 feet from the road. She had been shot in the head.
According to investigators, Perez had last been seen alive at around 8 p.m. on Saturday night in the Shady Hills area, prompting a missing persons report. In the early hours of Sunday morning, at around 1:15 a.m., she got into a vehicle driven by Timmons. The two began arguing during the journey, and the confrontation escalated. Sheriff Harrington said Timmons shot Perez in the head before driving to a nearby location and leaving her body at the roadside.
Timmons subsequently disposed of the firearm by throwing it into a nearby body of water. The Pasco Sheriff's Office dive and underwater recovery team has been searching for the weapon.
Detectives have not disclosed what triggered the argument between the pair. Harrington stated there was no prior indication that the relationship had turned violent, though he noted that Perez's parents had been urging her to end the relationship with Timmons.
Timmons remains in custody while the death investigation continues. The Pasco Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with relevant information to contact their Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488 or to submit details via PascoSheriff.com/tips.
Sheriff Harrington used the briefing to stress that domestic violence is never acceptable and called on victims or families affected by abuse to seek help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE and offers free, confidential support.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)