UPDATE: A 20-year-old Tampa man has been
arrested in Hillsborough County in connection with an incident in January in
which a marked Collier County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle was shot.
Benjamin
Carl Piccirilli Zuk, formerly of North Naples, was arrested May 6 by deputies
with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on a Collier County Sheriff’s
Office warrant charging him with criminal mischief over $1,000, a felony.
The patrol vehicle was parked in the Bermuda Isles
community at the intersection of Vanderbilt Beach and Livingston roads, where
it was discovered with two gunshots to the front passenger door slightly below
the window around 1 p.m. on Jan. 21. The patrol vehicle, a ghost car with
subdued markings, is assigned to the agency’s Safety and Traffic Enforcement
Bureau.
Zuk also
faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief over $200 in connection with a
similar incident involving a civilian vehicle that had been shot at in North
Naples. In that
incident, the victim parked his 1997 Jeep near the pool in the Quail Woods community
on Jan. 21. He returned to his vehicle on Jan. 25 to find the rear window
shattered and a small bullet hole in the front windshield.
Zuk was developed
as a suspect as a result of an extensive investigation by CCSO detectives.
Deputies arrested Zuk the night of Jan. 21 on unrelated marijuana possession charges. A search of Zuk’s vehicle turned up a handgun, which deputies recovered and submitted into evidence.
Deputies arrested Zuk the night of Jan. 21 on unrelated marijuana possession charges. A search of Zuk’s vehicle turned up a handgun, which deputies recovered and submitted into evidence.
Detectives
submitted bullets that were recovered from the CCSO patrol car; a bullet,
fragments and shell casing from the Jeep; and the firearm found in Zuk’s
vehicle to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab for testing.
On April 1,
detectives received notification from FDLE that the bullets recovered from the
patrol car and the fragments and shell casing from the Jeep came from the
firearm recovered from Zuk’s vehicle Jan. 21.
Upon further
investigation, detectives submitted a warrant request on April 26 to the State
Attorney’s Office for Zuk’s arrest in both cases.
Original news release:
Unoccupied CCSO Patrol Car Shot
Post Date:01/29/2016 4:19 PM
Unoccupied CCSO Patrol Car Shot
Post Date:01/29/2016 4:19 PM
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is investigating
gunshots that hit a marked, unoccupied CCSO vehicle that was parked at an
apartment complex Thursday.
The vehicle was parked in the Bermuda Isles community at the intersection of Vanderbilt Beach and Livingston roads, where it was discovered with two gunshots to the front passenger door slightly below the window.
The vehicle, a ghost car with subdued markings, is assigned to the agency’s Safety and Traffic Enforcement Bureau.
The deputy assigned to the vehicle last saw it undamaged at 3 a.m. Thursday. When he returned to the car shortly after 1 p.m. he immediately noticed the bullet holes.
While Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies enjoy a high degree of community support, this incident is an unfortunate reminder that some individuals act out their contempt toward law enforcement in very dangerous ways.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call CCSO at 239.252.9300, or to remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward contact Crime Stoppers at 1.800.780.8477 (TIPS).
The vehicle was parked in the Bermuda Isles community at the intersection of Vanderbilt Beach and Livingston roads, where it was discovered with two gunshots to the front passenger door slightly below the window.
The vehicle, a ghost car with subdued markings, is assigned to the agency’s Safety and Traffic Enforcement Bureau.
The deputy assigned to the vehicle last saw it undamaged at 3 a.m. Thursday. When he returned to the car shortly after 1 p.m. he immediately noticed the bullet holes.
While Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies enjoy a high degree of community support, this incident is an unfortunate reminder that some individuals act out their contempt toward law enforcement in very dangerous ways.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call CCSO at 239.252.9300, or to remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward contact Crime Stoppers at 1.800.780.8477 (TIPS).
