A vacation to visit his in-laws turned into a foot chase as Lamar County Deputy Jamie Murray dodged a bullet and helped local law enforcement officials capture two burglary suspects in Riverview, Florida.
Murray, 48, and his wife, Linda, their two boys and Linda’s parents had just returned from eating out at about 7 p.m. July 23 after a long day of sightseeing. His mother-in-law went to her bedroom to put up her purse.
“She started screaming bloody murder,” said Murray, who has been in law enforcement for 21 years. “I didn’t know what had happened. I looked through the bedroom door and could see someone outside. The other one was trying to get in.”
A landscaping rock had apparently been used to break the bedroom window. The two men – Jovanni Christian Lozano and Kevin Antonio Noriega Cruz, both 18 – then ran when they heard Murray run after them.
“I started chasing them and one of them got about 30 yards ahead of me,” Murray said. “He pulled out a gun and fired a shot at me as he was running away.”
Murray said he dialed 911 during the chase, but he really wasn’t familiar with the nearby streets.
Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies, with the assistance of a helicopter and K9 Specter, used Murray's information to track the two suspects.
“It occurred during shift change, which is the perfect storm for committing a crime,” Murray said. “They really did a great job in locating and arresting the suspects. Luckily, one of the deputies spotted the two guys near her, and then the helicopter spotted them go into the flower nursery.”
The two were apprehended at the Riverview Flower Farm, which reportedly was closed for the day.
Lozano and Noriega Cruz were charged with aggravated assault, armed burglary and burglary of a structure. Noriega Cruz is also facing a charge for possession of cocaine.
"As a deputy myself with 21 years' experience, this was impressive," he told a Florida reporter. "The response was quick. I was very impressed with the amount of resources used on this."
Murray said he was glad that he and his family were visiting his wife’s parents when the crime happened.
“My in-laws live alone,” he said. “I hate to think what could have happened if we had not been there.”
