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15-year-old boy faces charges in BB gun attacks

By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published September 21, 2005

TAMPA - A boy accused of shooting someone in the eye with a BB gun faces three felony charges and could be connected to as many as six shootings.

The 15-year-old was arrested by Tampa police detectives late Tuesday in connection with recent BB gun shootings in the Drew Park area. He faces three felony counts of aggravated battery and was taken to the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center.

The Times is withholding the suspect's name because he is a juvenile. The court system will decide whether he will be charged as an adult, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

Another suspect was detained and questioned Tuesday evening in connection with the crime. He had not been arrested Tuesday night.

Police say the two boys, and possibly three more teenagers, are responsible for half a dozen BB gun shootings over the last two weeks that struck six different victims.

A break in the case came after an officer received a tip, McElroy said.

Detectives snapped his picture and someone who had been shot Friday picked him from a photo lineup. The boy later confessed to two Sunday shootings, McElroy said.

One of his alleged victims on that day was Joe DuBose, 44, who had to undergo surgery Monday to remove a BB that lodged beneath his eyeball.

DuBose was walking near Grady and Osborne avenues Sunday night on his way to turn in his uniforms after he had just lost his tow truck driving job, when a white Toyota Camry pulled up to him. A boy asked him a question, and then two males in the car shot at DuBose, chasing him while he ran for cover. DuBose said they laughed as they fired.

BBs hit his arm, back and throat while another penetrated his bottom eyelid and lodged beneath his eyeball.

"They should have a little bit more respect for people," DuBose told the Times on Monday before surgery. "I can't understand why people can go around and do this just to hurt people."

He could not be reached lateTuesday.

The first shooting happened just after midnight Sept. 11. Scott Herbert, 38, was shot 18 times with a BB gun while walking on Lois Avenue, police said.

Saturday, 48-year-old Paul Kucher was riding his bicycle on Osborne Avenue and was shot when a car pulled up to him near Hale Avenue. He suffered minor injuries.

Police say the boy being held and a group of teens are responsible for at least three more shootings. DuBose said there were two males and two females in the car that attacked him, and Tampa police Lt. Luis Adan said as many as five suspects could be arrested.

"Hopefully we can identify some more suspects tonight," he said Tuesday night.

Justin George can be reached at 813 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 21, 2005, 00:23:13]