Largo Police Arrest Shooter After Man Killed at Apartment Complex in Largo
Updated: April 25, 2018
Largo Police continue to investigate the shooting death of 32 year-old Ricardo Guzman.
Officers from the Largo Police Department responded to a shooting call at the Melrose on the Bay apartments at 16321 Bolesta Road. The request for service was at approximately 11:45 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 2018
Ricardo Guzman called 911 to say he had been shot after several gunshots were heard in the apartment complex.
He was located in his dark blue Toyota Tacoma in the north end of the complex near building #5103. He was transported to Largo Medical Center, where he died of his wounds. Guzman did not live in Melrose on the Bay.
A subject was seen running from the area of the gunshots, but it is not known if this person was a suspect or bystander. There is no suspect information at this time.
On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, Daniel Battle, age 28 of St. Petersburg, was arrested and charged with first degree murder. According to the arrest affidavit, this was a robbery that ended with four gunshots. Guzman arrived at the apartment complex after receiving a text message arranging a drug sale transaction.
According to a 17 year-old co-defendant, Battle pulled out a handgun and shot Guzman after yelling for him to “give it up.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Chris Berard at 727-567-6730.