The Hunt Is On For Twisted Criminal After Attempted Murder

Florida authorities are searching for a “violent and dangerous criminal” who bound his victim with duct tape, stabbed him, and injected him with fentanyl against his will in an attempted murder last week.

The incident occurred Monday evening in Tampa when two suspects conspired and attempted to kill a known associate who they believed would report their illegal activities to the 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 bound and assaulted him.

The victim was able to break free following the attack and was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where he remains in stable condition, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities arrested, 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 a transient 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.