Grand jury indicts suspect in hotel shootings

Silvio Izquierdo-Leyva, facing murder and carjacking charges, is expected to face the death penalty.

By GRAHAM BRINK

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2000

TAMPA -- A grand jury indicted Silvio Izquierdo-Leyva on 20 charges Wednesday, including five counts of first-degree murder stemming from the Dec. 30 shooting rampage that left five people dead.

Grand jury proceedings are not open to the public, and prosecutors would not comment on the evidence they presented.

"We will be seeking the death penalty," said Hillsborough State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Pam Bondi.

Izquierdo, a 36-year-old Cuban refugee, is accused of killing four co-workers and injured three others at the Radisson Bay Harbor Hotel on the Courtney Campbell Parkway before fleeing in a stolen car, police said. He abandoned the car in West Tampa, where he killed a motorist who refused to give up her car, police said. He stole another car and was captured minutes later at MacDill Avenue and Spruce Street near MacFarlane Park, three miles from the Radisson.

Besides the five murder charges, Izquierdo faces seven counts of attempted murder with a firearm, three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, two counts of carjacking with a firearm and three counts of attempted carjacking. He is being held at the Hillsborough County jail without bail.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Robert Simms. The arraignment, a suspect's first formal court appearance during which he enters a plea, is scheduled for Tuesday. At that time or soon after, Izquierdo likely will be declared indigent and assigned to a public defender.

In some cases, the Public Defender's Office has a conflict that forces the court to hire private attorneys to represent the defendant.

So far, said Assistant Public Defender John Skye, no such conflicts exist.

"We are already planning to get the case, although anything can happen," he said.

-- Staff Writer Graham Brink can be reached at (813) 226-3365 or at brink@sptimes.com.

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