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DNA in sock leads to arrest of gang member in St. Pete shooting, police say

A suspect in a shooting ran away so fast that some of his clothes came off, including a sock. Inside: DNA.
 
DNA pulled from that sock left behind at a shooting scene matches Octavius Jessie Henderson, 19, of St. Petersburg, police say. He was booked at the Pinellas County jail Thursday on an attempted murder charge.
DNA pulled from that sock left behind at a shooting scene matches Octavius Jessie Henderson, 19, of St. Petersburg, police say. He was booked at the Pinellas County jail Thursday on an attempted murder charge. [ Pinellas County Sheriff's Office ]
Published Jan. 31, 2020|Updated Feb. 1, 2020

When St. Petersburg police arrived on the scene of a shooting in November, they learned that a man had been shot multiple times and that the suspects had run away to an awaiting car, which took off from the scene.

One of the suspects had run away so fast, apparently, that some of his clothes came off while he was sprinting to the car. Officers found a pair of jean shorts, a sandal and a sock.

On Thursday, nearly three months after the shooting, police made an arrest in the case.

A key piece of evidence? The sock.

Arrest reports say that DNA pulled from that sock matches Octavius Jessie Henderson, 19, of St. Petersburg. He was booked at the Pinellas County jail Thursday on an attempted murder charge.

The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. Nov. 5 as a man arrived home and was walking up his driveway to his home. An address of the incident was redacted from reports.

Two people approached the man and ordered him to “give it up.” A struggle started and one of the suspects fired four times. The man was struck multiple times, but more details about his injuries were not provided.

The suspects ran to the awaiting car, a silver Toyota Camry, which “left the area at a high rate of speed,” arrest reports state.

In addition to the evidence police got from the sock, investigators found a fingerprint on the victim’s vehicle where the struggle had occurred that matched Henderson, reports state.

An arrest report states that Henderson is a gang member. He also is facing charges of sale and possession of cocaine and marijuana, records show.

He was being held at the Pinellas County jail Friday without bail.