Men Charged With Murder In Wesley Chapel Shooting

By Matt Wiley,

Two Wesley Chapel residents have been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of a third Wesley Chapel man.

Matthew Brian Tillman
Matthew Brian Tillman

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), Matthew Brian Tillman, 25, and Joseph James Berenguer, 27, both of 6300 Tulip Dr. in Angus Valley, were arrested on October 14 on first-degree murder charges for the Oct. 9 shooting of 31-year-old Timothy Leigh Skowronski at a home at 30122 Eastport Dr. in Wesley Chapel. Skowronski died of a gunshot wound to the head on Oct. 11.

PCSO reports that at around 9:20 p.m. on Oct. 9, Tillman and Berenguer traveled to the Eastport Dr. home in a red Toyota Camry with two other unidentified witnesses (who ended up reporting the crime), to rob the victim. Tillman and Berenguer knocked on the rear door of the residence and identified themselves as “Nick.”

When Skowronski opened the door, Tillman had a semi-automatic pistol aimed at him. The victim reportedly went for the gun, but was shot in the head and Tillman and Berenguer fled in the Camry.

Joseph James Berenguer
Joseph James Berenguer

Tobin says that the victim died of his injuries on Oct. 11 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. Four people were home at the time of the shooting, the report states.

In addition to first-degree murder, Tillman and Berenguer were each charged with six counts of auto burglary, one count of armed burglary and one count of burglary of an occupied dwelling; Tillman also was charged with one count of grand theft, although details about the additional charges were not available at our press time, as the case was still under investigation.

Tillman and Berenguer remained in custody at the Land O’Lakes Detention Center at our press time.

 

Make Strides Against Breast Cancer On October 19!

By Matt Wiley,

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, as always, there are several local events that help raise money that goes toward the research for a cure for the disease that has killed millions. One of the biggest of these events across the nation each year is the American Cancer Society (ACS)’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk, which will again be held locally on Saturday, October 19, at the Shops at Wiregrass mall.

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Suspect Tries To Steal ATM With Forklift

By Matt Wiley,

TD Bank’s surveillance camera caught this image of the forklift that was used in an attempted burglary on Oct. 5.
TD Bank’s surveillance camera caught this image of the forklift that was used in an attempted burglary on Oct. 5.

The plan to rob a bank using a forklift probably looked better on paper.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), at around 12:05 a.m. on October 5, an unknown suspect attempted to remove an ATM machine from the TD Bank branch at the intersection of S.R. 56 and Silver Maple Pkwy. in Wesley Chapel. When deputies arrived, the suspect had already fled and there was structural damage to the building.

However, the suspect failed to steal any money or gain access to the bank, PCSO reports. The forklift itself was left at the scene.

“This is the first time this kind of incident has happened in our jurisdiction,” says PCSO spokesman Kevin Doll.

No additional information was available at our press time.

 

Florida's New Texting Ban Now In Effect, But With Exceptions

Florida's texting while driving ban is in effect as of Oct. 1.
Florida’s texting while driving ban is in effect as of Oct. 1.

By Matt Wiley

If you’re on Wesley Chapel roads, or any Florida road for that matter, stay off your phone. Or, off of the keyboard, at least, as Florida’s texting and driving ban has gone into effect. However, there are some exceptions.

On October 1, Florida became the 41st state to actively ban texting while driving. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), 3,400 crashes resulted from distraction by an electronic device in the state last year, 24 of which resulted in fatalities.

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Wesley Chapel Businesses Grab Hardware At Pasco EDC Gala

By Gary Nager

Shops at Wiregrass’ Greg Lenners
Shops at Wiregrass’ Greg Lenners

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know the Pasco County Economic Development Council (EDC) also has an annual award banquet, but I do know that at this year’s banquet — held Sept. 4 at Saddlebrook Resort Tampa on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel — businesses located in Wesley Chapel came home with a nice handful of trophies.

Hosting the gala was Al Reuchel of Bay News 9, who helped the EDC give out a number of awards in a total of four categories — “Manufacturing Industry of the Year,” “Service/Distribution Industry of the Year,” “Technology” and “Special Contribution.”

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