Tropicana Bradenton shooting, kidnapping suspect found after 10 months on the run
BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) — A man accused of shooting a Tropicana Bradenton coworker and kidnapping another at gunpoint is in custody after 10 months on the run.
The Bradenton Police Department received a tip Monday night stating Demetrius Tyrone Bell, 51, was back in the city.
Calls with Florida police can be recorded without consent, appeal court rules
Bell was accused of running from officers when they located him. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was dispatched to the area and found Bell clinging to the roof of a storage facility on Manatee Avenue East.
Aerial footage showed police climbing onto the roof and pulling Bell back from the edge so they could place him under arrest. A Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit was waiting on the ground below.
In June 2023, Bell was accused of entering the Tropicana plant after his shift and shooting a coworker. He left the facility with a woman who was found in Tampa days later.
Police found Bell’s Camaro, but there was no sign of him.
Bell is charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, armed kidnapping and possession of a
firearm by a convicted felon. He may receive more criminal charges, pending investigation by Bradenton police.
Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact BPD Detective Beckley at
jeff.beckley@bradentonpd.com or (941) 932-9356. To remain anonymous and eligible for a cash
reward of up to $3,000, call Crime Stoppers at 866-634-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip on the Crime Stoppers website.
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