Pasco Sheriff Arrests Armed Robbery Suspects In Wesley Chapel

By Matt Wiley

Four suspects are in custody for as many armed robberies in the New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas.

During a press conference on September 24, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) announced that it had arrested the suspects wanted for several armed robberies that occurred between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. on September 23 at business in Tampa Palms, Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Land O’Lakes

PCSO Sheriff Chris Nocco told reporters that Grand Hampton resident Isiah James McManus, 20; Evan Alexander St. Pierre, 20, who lives in the Delano apartment complex off Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel; Lutz resident Devin Page Shapland, 18; and Dominic Justice Traina, 19, also of Lutz, all were involved with the four different robberies.

“They admitted to being high on drugs (opiates) at the time and they were running around pointing guns at people,” Nocco said. “It’s unfortunate that they have such a reckless mindset.”

According to PCSO, the crime spree began at 1 a.m. at the Papa John’s Pizza, located just south of Tampa Palms in the Oak Ramble shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., where McManus, St. Pierre and Shapland tried to break in, but the suspects couldn’t get through the locked door. They then drove in a blue 2015 Toyota Camry to the Lutz Taco Bell, located just west of Collier Pkwy., where Shapland also is an employee.

At about 2 a.m., McManus hopped out, while St. Pierre and Shapland went through the drive-thru lane. Once they pulled away, McManus reportedly approached the window on foot with a revolver and wearing a ski mask. He tried, but failed to open the window and fled.

PCSO says that the trio then drove to the My Broken Phone store, located in front of Target at BBD and County Line Rd. McManus exited the vehicle, approached the store front and fired five shots into the glass, trying to shatter it, but it did not break, so he fled back to the car.

At about 6 a.m., the trio went to the CVS Pharmacy located at S.R. 56 and BBD. St. Pierre reportedly entered the store to scout it out. He went outside reported what he saw to McManus, then reentered the store and approached the cashier counter with a drink and attempted to pay for it. At the same time, McManus entered the store wearing a ski mask and brandishing a revolver. St. Pierre ran out of the store while McManus demanded cash from the clerk, who emptied his register into a bag that McManus pulled out.

Just before 8 a.m., Traina drove McManus to the Circle K/Mobil gas station on S.R. in Land O’Lakes, about a half-mile west of Wesley Chapel Blvd. McManus entered the store and held a gun to the clerk’s back, who was stocking a shelf. He forced the clerk to walk to the register and give him cash, which totaled more than $300. McManus then forced the clerk to the floor and fled to the Camry.

PCSO major crimes detective Mark Guteirrez says that social media played a large role in identifying and locating the suspects, who were arrested at the Delano apartment complex on September 24. St. Pierre was found in possession of Xanax while being questioned by deputies. While detained in a squad car, St. Pierre was able to get his hands on marijuana from an unrelated case and began to eat the pot in an attempt to “destroy the evidence.” He was later informed that the drugs were from an unrelated case.

Shapland was found with a Xanax pill in his mouth while being booked into the Land O’Lakes jail.

McManus faces three counts of armed robbery, one count of armed kidnapping, one count of attempted armed robbery, one count of attempted armed burglary, as well as shooting into a public unoccupied building. He currently is being held at the Land O’Lakes Detention Center on a $762,000 bond.

St. Pierre is charged with one count of armed robbery, two counts of attempted armed robbery, possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence. He also is in custody at the Land O’Lakes Detention Center on a $457,000 bond.

Shapland is charged with two counts of attempted armed robbery and one count of introduction of contraband for the pill in his mouth. Shapland is being held at the Land O’Lakes Detention Center on a $305,000 bond.

Traina faces one count of armed robbery and armed kidnapping, felony possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and is being held on a $457,000 bond, also at the Land O’Lakes Detention Center.

“(Business owners should) warn customers that their have been break-ins,” Nocco said. “Be proactive. We need good camera systems out there to help us.”