‘A dangerous man.’ Bradenton police arrest suspect 10 months after Tropicana shooting

After being on the run for nearly a year, a Bradenton man is under arrest after police say he shot one coworker and kidnapped another.

The Bradenton Police Department announced Tuesday afternoon that Demitrius Bell, 51, is in custody. Last June, investigators say Bell got into an argument after working his shift at the Tropicana plant before shooting a male coworker and forcing a female coworker to leave with him.

The woman Bell kidnapped was released in Tampa two days after the shooting last June, but police were still unable to locate Bell, investigators say.

Detectives received a tip that Bell returned to Bradenton, but he ran from police officers when they approached him Monday night, according to a news release.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s Aviation Unit assisted in Bell’s arrest, police said. An aerial deputy spotted Bell hanging from the roof of a storage facility near the Braden River on Manatee Avenue East.

In a statement posted to social media Tuesday afternoon, Hillsborough Sheriff Sheriff Chad Chronister thanked his deputies for assisting in the arrest of “a dangerous individual.”

“This joint effort between agencies showcases the dedication of our deputies to protecting every individual, regardless of county,” Chronister said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Bell is being held at the Manatee County Jail without bond.

Bell faces several charges, including attempted murder, armed kidnapping, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting an officer, according to Bradenton police.

Bell was also charged with resisting without violence, according to a spokesperson with BPD.

The investigation is ongoing.

Bradenton Herald reporter Michael Moore Jr. contributed to this report.