Tampa man arrested in homicide at 7-Eleven store, police say

TAMPA — A 39-year-old Tampa man has been arrested in connection to the death of a Black man who was found mortally injured outside a 7-Eleven store early Friday.

Police received a 911 call around 1:20 a.m. about someone being stomped on by another person outside the store at 4943 E Busch Blvd. When officers arrived, they found an unconscious man in the parking lot who was suffering from “severe upper body trauma,” police said.

The man, described as being in his early 70s, was taken to a local hospital, where he died a short time later, according to police.

The investigation led detectives to 39-year-old Taron Criner, the department said in an updated news release Friday afternoon. Police say he was spotted on video near the 7-Eleven wearing what appeared to be the same clothes seen on the suspect in the surveillance video, and Criner’s clothes had what they described as “apparent blood spatter” on them.

Criner was positively identified, arrested and taken to Orient Road Jail for booking, the release said. He is facing a second-degree murder charge, according to jail records.

Police have not released the name of the man who was killed.

This is a developing story. Check tampabay.com for updates.