Arrest Made in Pinellas Park Homicide Case
Updated: 5 p.m., July 29. 2018
Police continue to investigate a shooting that took place in the parking lot of 4030 78th Avenue at approximately 7 p.m. on Friday, July 27, 2018.
The shooting investigation being conducted by Pinellas Park Police is now considered a homicide investigation.
As Pinellas Park Police homicide investigators continued their investigation into Friday night’s shooting, they were able to identify a homicide suspect that shot and killed 20 year old Maurice Cole. Investigators identified Derrion Rich 24 years-old of St. Petersburg as the suspect in the homicide.
Since obtaining an arrest warrant on late Saturday, investigators have been actively searching for Rich. Derrion Rich was located today outside of his St. Petersburg home where he was taken into custody without incident.
Investigators believe that Friday’s shooting that took place in the parking lot of the apartments was the result of a dispute over a narcotics transaction that took place between Cole and Rich.
Derrion Rich has been charged with first degree murder and was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, with no bond. Rich has a lengthy criminal history that includes various felony charges and multiple narcotics charges all that date back to January of 2013.
Cole was from Colorado Springs, CO. and had only been staying at the apartment complex, where the shooting took place, since about July 16th.
Following the shooting, Cole was transported to Northside Hospital where he later died as a result of his injuries.