A routine trash run in St. Petersburg turned into a deadly crime scene Wednesday when a city sanitation worker was shot and killed while seated inside a municipal front-loader in the Childs Park neighborhood. Police say a suspect later led troopers on a long chase down Interstate 75 before a tense standoff in Lee County ended with the man in the hospital and in law enforcement custody.
Shooting at 12th Avenue South
The victim has been identified by friends and colleagues as 47-year-old Natasha “Tasha” Moses, a mother of four who had worked for the City of St. Petersburg for about 12 years. According to FOX 13, she was found shot inside the cab of the front-loader around 12:30 p.m. in the 4100 block of 12th Avenue South.
I-75 standoff and arrest
Not long after the shooting, troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol spotted a pickup they believed was tied to the killing and tried to pull it over. The driver refused to stop, and the pursuit continued until officers used a PIT maneuver near the Alico Road exit on I-75 in Lee County, forcing the truck to a halt. WGCU reports that shots were fired during the standoff before Lee County deputies and FHP troopers took the suspect into custody and transported him to a Lee County hospital in serious condition. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been called in to investigate the law-enforcement-involved shooting.
Charges and custody status
The St. Petersburg Police Department has obtained an arrest warrant charging the suspect with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, FOX 13 reported. Separately, the Florida Highway Patrol filed Lee County charges that include attempted murder, discharging a firearm in public, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and fleeing to elude, according to Patch. Coverage by WTSP says the suspect is being held without bond.
City response and next steps
City officials have confirmed that grief counselors will be available to municipal employees grappling with the loss, Tampa Free Press reported. Investigators say the case remains very much active as detectives in St. Petersburg work alongside state agencies to assemble evidence from both the neighborhood crime scene and the interstate stop, WGCU added. Officials have not discussed a possible motive publicly and are urging patience while the multi-jurisdictional investigation continues.
Legal note
First-degree murder is classified as a capital offense under Florida law and can carry a sentence of life in prison or, in some cases, the death penalty, according to the Florida Statutes. Prosecutors in Pinellas and Lee counties will decide which charges to pursue as the investigation moves forward and the charging process plays out.
