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Police say victim let killer into apartmentBy AMY HERDY and DAVID KARP
© St. Petersburg Times, TAMPA -- The man who killed a WFLA-Ch. 8 news director somehow persuaded her to let him into her apartment, police said Friday.
Once inside, he attempted to rape Cipriani and stabbed her repeatedly, police said. Why Cipriani, 31, let the man into her apartment remained a mystery Friday. Tampa Police spokeswoman Katie Hughes said there was a peephole in the apartment door. "We don't know what she was thinking, but it appeared she let her guard down," Hughes said. Givens was arrested several hours after the attack when he tried to steal a bicycle from a Beach Park home and was chased down and held for police by a group of neighbors, police said. He was taken to jail July 7 on the burglary and theft charges and remained there while detectives investigated Cipriani's murder. Givens, of 1405 N Lois Ave., was charged with the murder late Thursday after police matched a fingerprint in Cipriani's apartment, police said. He was charged with first-degree murder, attempted sexual battery and armed burglary and is being held without bail. Records show he has been arrested five times since 1994 on charges such as burglary, theft, prowling, trespassing, resisting arrest and credit card fraud. He was captured July 7 by criminal defense attorney Rick Terrana. It was about 8:30 a.m. when neighbors saw Givens take a bike from Terrana's open garage, police said. They began chasing him and yelling for police. Terrana, who heard the commotion from inside his house, hopped on another bicycle and managed to catch Givens. Then he made sure he didn't get away. "I describe it as an old-fashioned a-- kicking," Terrana said Friday. Cipriani had worked for Channel 8 since 1997 and directed weekend evening newscasts. She lived alone in the apartment and was known as a conscientious employee. When she didn't arrive for work Saturday, two co-workers went to her apartment and found the door unlocked. They called police. Givens and Cipriani did not know each other, police said. Terrana said Givens reeked of alcohol when he captured him, and "had that crazed look in his eye." Terrana was especially upset that Givens came into his garage when his wife and children were home. "The moral is: Keep your doors locked," Terrana said.
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Headlines From the Times local news desks |
Investigators think that man is Melvin Givens, 25, and that he went by Danielle Cipriani's apartment on W Fig Street sometime between 11 p.m. July 6 and 3 a.m. July 7.
