A Tampa man is behind bars after Hillsborough County deputies say he repeatedly stabbed a victim at a home on North Central Avenue, then stole the man's car and sped off, leaving him with life-threatening wounds. The victim remained in stable but serious condition at the hospital Thursday evening, two days after the attack, according to WFLA.
Deputies responded to the stabbing at 2:58 p.m. Tuesday, according to WFLA. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed the suspect repeatedly stabbing the victim with a knife, striking him in the face and rummaging through his pockets before getting into the victim's vehicle and driving away, per the station's report.
Vehicle Found Abandoned Miles Away
Deputies later found the stolen vehicle abandoned in the 6000 block of North Hubert Avenue, the outlet reported. Investigators worked to identify the man seen on the surveillance video, eventually naming him as 38-year-old Yoandry Hernandez Penton and issuing a warrant for his arrest, according to the same account.
Detectives caught up with Hernandez Penton on Wednesday, finding him walking along West Hillsborough Avenue just before 5 p.m. and taking him into custody. He now faces charges of first-degree attempted murder with a weapon, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of cocaine, the report states.
Sheriff Calls Attack Brutal and Relentless
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described the attack as brutal and relentless, leaving the victim with life-threatening injuries. “Our detectives moved quickly to identify the suspect, secure critical evidence, and take him into custody,” Chronister said, according to the same WFLA report. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
also confirmed the arrest in a post detailing the timeline of events.
The case lands amid a broader downward trend in violent crime across the county. Hillsborough County overall crime declined 12.79% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to data submitted through the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System and detailed in a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office release. Homicides dropped 55%, from 49 in 2024 to 22 in 2025, and overall violent crime fell 13.85% over the same period, the release states.
No further details about the victim's identity or his relationship, if any, to Hernandez Penton have been released, as reported by FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
