Hillsborough deputy arrest Florida man in 'brutal murder' of woman, 4-year-old girl in Dover
By: A man was arrested on Thursday in connection to the brutal murders of a 36-year-old woman and her 4-year-old daughter in Dover.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said on Wednesday evening, deputies made the horrific discovery of a dead woman outside a mobile home on Sumner Road. As deputies entered the house, they found a young girl also dead.
The sheriff's office said both victims — identified as Amalia Coc Choc de Pec and her daughter Estrella Anastasia Pec Coc — suffered severe blunt-force trauma.
Detectives said the suspect — 31-year-old Angel Gabriel Cuz-Choc — was found less than 24 hours later, hiding roughly two miles from the crime scene.
"From the moment our deputies arrived at the gruesome scene, we poured every resource available into tracking down the suspect responsible for this heinous crime and bringing him to justice," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Cuz-Choc will face the full weight of the criminal justice system for his vicious, vile, and evil actions."
Body camera video captures the moment K-9 Dover located Cuz-Choc at 10:49 a.m. in a densely wooded area hiding in a bush, between I-4 and Glen Harwell Road.
"Not only did he commit an unimaginable crime which cruelly claimed the lives of two innocent victims, he then made the cowardly and ultimately futile attempt to evade capture. His efforts were no match for our team of dedicated detectives who left no stone unturned in their search," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "There wasn't a square inch within this perimeter that our deputies did not have covered."
After he was apprehended, the sheriff's office said Cuz-Choc confessed to both murders while he was being interviewed by detectives.
Cuz-Choc was arrested and booked into the Falkenburg Road Jail for two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon. He is being held on no bond.