Deputies still on the hunt for 2 suspects

The men are wanted in connection with a home invasion and a Hampton Inn robbery.

By JOEL ANDERSON, Times Staff Writer
Published January 19, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT Michael Cardona, 24, is 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Osvaldo Rojas, 25, is listed as 5 feet 7 and 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County sheriff's deputies continued to search for two suspects wanted in connection with a home invasion and the robbery of a Hampton Inn in Spring Hill on Thursday.

Michael Cardona, 24, and Osvaldo Rojas, 25, remained on the loose Friday after leading authorities on a chase Thursday afternoon that lasted for several hours and swept through several Spring Hill neighborhoods near Lake Theresa.

Deputies tried to take Cardona and Rojas into custody after they had been identified as two of the three suspects in a home invasion early Thursday morning.

The third suspect, Leo Johnson III, 36, of Spring Hill remained behind bars Friday on charges of grand theft, home invasion, robbery and violation of probation. He was denied bail because of a criminal history that includes arrests for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of drugs without a prescription and carrying a concealed weapon.

Johnson confessed to detectives that he, Cardona and Rojas committed a home invasion and robbery about 5 a.m. Thursday at 7218 Spring Hill Drive, a Sheriff's Office report said. The suspects are accused of forcing their way into the home, pistol-whipping Darrell Charles, 22, and taking about $600 in cash that the victim said was his rent money.

Charles, who lives at the home, told detectives that he is an acquaintance of the suspects and had been warned by others that the trio would be coming to rob him, the report said.

Johnson also confessed to being involved in a robbery of a Hampton Inn at 1344 Commercial Way hours before the home invasion, according to the report. The men allegedly assaulted a clerk at the hotel and stole about $125 and the safe that contained it.

Clothes that were worn during the robbery were later found at the Spring Hill home of Johnson and his live-in girlfriend, the report said.

Neither Cardona nor Rojas have been seen since eluding authorities Thursday afternoon, said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Black. Both men are believed to be carrying some sort of handgun.

"We still consider them to be armed and dangerous," Black said. "We've still not been able to decipher if they're still in the area or not."

Cardona was last seen wearing a blue tank top and blue jeans. He is 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. His last known address was 5115 Linkwood Ave., Tampa. Rojas had on a white T-shirt and blue jeans. He's listed as 5 feet 7 and 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. His address is 7366 Canterbury St. in Spring Hill.

Joel Anderson can be reached at joelanderson@sptimes.com or 754-6120.

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Anyone with information regarding this case should call the Hernando County Sheriff's Office at 352 754-6830.

[Last modified January 18, 2008, 20:31:15]