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Tony Marrero - Day Cops, Hillsborough Sheriff, Tampa Police Department Reporter
Tony Marrero

Day Cops, Hillsborough Sheriff, Tampa Police Department Reporter

A Baltimore native, I've lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1998 and have been a reporter here for nearly that long. I joined the Times in 2009 and have covered beats ranging from from education to criminal courts. I now cover breaking news and general assignment stories in the Tampa bureau, which means I never know exactly what will come my way on any given day. I like that variety and enjoy digging to tell readers more about the big stories of the day.

  1. Bicyclist killed in Tampa hit-and-run ‘was working so we could be a family,’ fiancee says
    Yesterday• Hillsborough
    Jacob "Jake" Weinert, 28, seen here holding his son Jasper in 2018, was killed Tuesday morning when a pickup truck struck him from him behind while he was riding on U.S. 301 in Tampa, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
    Jacob Weinert, a 28-year-old father of two, was struck by a pickup near Sligh Avenue, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
  2. Wesley Chapel woman killed after car crashes, catches fire on I-275 in Tampa
    Yesterday• Hillsborough
    Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates.
    Her Honda Accord caught fire after the crash near the North Nebraska Avenue overpass, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
  3. Police arrest man in fatal shooting of West Tampa couple
    Yesterday• Crime
    On Friday, detectives quietly arrested Tyrail Kendrick and charged him with two counts of murder, one count of robbery and a count of a felon in possession of a firearm.
    Tyrail Raheem Kendrick, 26, is charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Stanley Peck and Tia Pittman.
  4. She lost a son to gunfire. Now, a couple she tried to help is shot dead.
    Yesterday• Crime
    Tia Pittman and Stanley Peck are shown in this family photo when Pittman was pregnant with the couple's first child. Peck and Pittman were fatally shot in West Tampa on Halloween morning 2019.
    Stanley Peck and Tia Pittman were excited about making new lives in Tampa. A man arrested in their slayings also faces charges of robbery in the attack.
  5. Deputies arrest suspect in fatal shooting of woman at Brandon apartment
    Nov. 7• Hillsborough
    Richard Miller, 49, fatally shot a woman at the Westchester Apartments in Brandon on Nov. 6, 2019, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
    Richard Miller, 49, is accused of murdering a woman who had recently broken up with him.
  6. ‘To lose two is harder.’ Toddlers killed four years apart near Plant City home.
    Nov. 7• Hillsborough
    Joshua Bronson, pictured in this family photo, was killed Tuesday when his mother Kayla Faircloth, accidentally struck him with a Chevy SUV on the family's Plant City property, authorities said.
    Kayla Faircloth’s 2-year-old daughter Izabella fell out of van four years ago. On Tuesday, Faircloth accidentally ran over 2-year-old son Joshua.
  7. Plant City mom who ran over child lost another under similar circumstances
    Nov. 6• Hillsborough
    Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates.
    The boy, 2, was fatally injured when he was run over by an SUV on Tuesday. The woman’s daughter, also 2, died nearby in 2015.
  8. St. Pete veterinarian’s plane struck tree on approach to airport, report says
    Nov. 5• St. Petersburg
    Pat and Harvey Partridge visit Waiheke Island in New Zealand in April. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board shows Partridge struggled to find the runway on approach to Raleigh-Durham International Airport last month before the Piper he was flying struck a pine tree and crashed. Both of them were killed.
    Harvey Partridge told a tower controller he had the runway in sight just before crashing into a 100-foot tall pine tree, according to the NTSB.
  9. Tampa grandmother faces DUI manslaughter charge in 10-month-old grandchild’s death
    Nov. 5• Crime
    Helen Mention, 50, of Tampa, faces charges of DUI manslaughter, aggravated manslaughter of a child, careless driving and violating Florida’s child restraint law, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
    The 50-year-old was driving with the baby in her lap when she crashed into a guard rail, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
  10. Man and woman shot and killed in West Tampa
    Oct. 31• Hillsborough
    Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates.
    The shooting took place in the 1700 block of W Walnut Street, according to Tampa police. Few details were released by police.