Mystery lingers 1 year after masked man killed woman in front of kids, Florida cops say
One year ago, a man wearing a black skull mask broke into a Florida home and shot a woman sitting next to two children in bed, a sheriff’s office said.
Now, deputies continue to search for the killer as the mysterious attack remains unsolved.
On Nov. 1, 2022, a man described as approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with a heavy build and wearing dark clothing, broke into a New Port Richey home, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
The man was also wearing a “black skull-type mask,” deputies said.
He kicked down the door of the house where a woman had been sleeping on a couch, Sheriff Chris Nocco said during a 2022 news conference.
The suspect walked into the home and pointed his weapon at the woman, but moved on to the bedroom, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man flipped on the lights, causing a woman sleeping on the bed with two children to sit up, Nocco said.
The man shot the woman once and she fell on the floor where he shot her again, in front of the children, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said the man then ran out of the home and got into a car, and he hasn’t been identified.
The woman died at a hospital, deputies said.
On Oct. 30, 2023, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman for the first time, with permission from her family, as 45-year-old Bethsaida Robles.
Deputies said they were releasing her identity “in the hopes of finding additional information in this case,” according to an Oct. 30 Facebook post.
Deputies believe the shooting was a “targeted hit,” Nocco said, but it is unknown how the shooter knew Robles.
“This incident is not believed to be a random act, as it appears the suspect knew the layout of the home and who his intended victim was,” the sheriff’s office said.
Nocco did not release the relation of Robles to the children, but said both kids were under the age of 12.
“I can imagine (the children) were out last night trick-or-treating. I can imagine they went to bed a little bit later like all the kids last night,” Nocco said at the 2022 news conference, McClatchy News reported. “But to be woken up by this … to have a suspect walk in, turn that light on and shoot the person in bed with them, you know. It’s horrific. That’s the only word I can think of.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office by calling 800-706-2488 or reporting tips online.
New Port Richey is about 30 miles northwest of Tampa.
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