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Man killed at Seminole construction site after apparent lightning strike

 
Published May 15, 2014

Pinellas sheriff's deputies are investigating the death of a Tampa man who may have been struck by lightning Wednesday.

About 4:30 p.m., deputies responded to a call at a construction site at 7245 102nd Lane N in Seminole, where a man had been found face-down on the ground. He was pronounced dead.

Deputies identified him as Agustin Navarrete-Guerrero, 40, of Tampa.

Daniel LaDonna, who lives next door to the construction site, said he was watching TV and from his window he saw a man walk toward an SUV and take his shirt off. LaDonna looked away and heard the loud bang of thunder and thought nothing more of it.

Navarrete-Guerrero worked at the site as a plasterer and carpooled to work that morning with his roommate, deputies said.

After his roommate had not heard from Navarrete-Guerrero for a while, the roommate went looking for him by the Ford Explorer they had arrived in. The roommate found the body and emergency responders arrived shortly after.

About an hour later, the neighbor, LaDonna, said the news came on.

"That's when I heard someone had died in my back yard," LaDonna said.

The cause of death remains under investigation.