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Bullets fired into home hit Temple Terrace girl, 3. One barely missed her spinal cord.

Sariya Terilus was hit in the back and knee, her father said. She’s listed in stable condition.
 
Her father had just given her a bath when Sariya Terilus, 3, shown here in an undated photo, was struck by bullet fragments.
Her father had just given her a bath when Sariya Terilus, 3, shown here in an undated photo, was struck by bullet fragments. [ Photo courtesy of Robert Jennings ]
Published May 13, 2020|Updated May 13, 2020

TEMPLE TERRACE — Dekaff Terilus had just finished bathing his 3-year old daughter Tuesday night and was about to jump in the shower when he heard gunshots shatter the window.

Terilus, 26, told the Tampa Bay Times that he ran into the room to find Sariya screaming on the bed. She had been watching YouTube videos when the bullets came through the window of the apartment in the Boardwalk at Morris Bridge.

Temple Terrace police received a call around 11:15 p.m. saying someone had fired shots into the apartment, off Fowler Avenue west of Interstate 75, and that a child had been struck by bullet fragments.

It was the second report of gunfire in Temple Terrace that night. Police said they received a call at 9:35 p.m. about a shooting about four miles southwest, near Grove Hill Road and Shirley Drive. The caller said someone had fired several rounds and fled the area in a vehicle.

Sariya was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition, police said.

Terilus said his daughter was hit in the back and knee. One fragment barely missed her spinal cord.

“She could have been paralyzed,” Terilus said. “What does a 3-year-old know about getting shot? She’s just living life.”

Temple Terrace Police Department detectives are searching for a white, late model Jeep that may have been involved in two shootings Tuesday night. [ Temple Terrace Police Department ]

Terilus said he wants justice for his daughter, an energetic girl who loves dancing and doing the splits.

“Everyone is drawn to Sariya’s smile and personality,” he said.

He believes the act was random, saying he doesn’t know who would target him.

“I don’t have no issues with nobody,” he said. “I’ve never been in a situation like this. I don’t even play with guns myself.”

Records show Terilus has no criminal convictions Hillsborough County.

Detectives are searching for a white, late model Jeep that may have been involved in both shootings. Anyone with information may contact the Temple Terrace Police Department at (813) 989-7110.

Times senior news researcher John Martin contributed to this report.