Shortly before 10 a.m. on May 28, 2025, 45-year-old George Phillip Aponte of Clearwater was arrested in connection with a fatal traffic crash that occurred on October 15, 2024, at 5th Avenue South and 22nd Street in St. Petersburg.
Aponte, the driver of an A-1 Recovery Tow Truck, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. The crash resulted in the deaths of 35-year-old driver Shakesha Desence and her passenger, 72-year-old Dilean Desence. A 9-year-old boy, also in the vehicle, sustained critical injuries but was later released from the hospital and continues to recover.
According to investigators, the crash occurred shortly before 5 p.m. as Desence attempted a left turn onto 5th Avenue South from 20th Street South. Aponte’s tow truck, traveling westbound on 5th Avenue South, struck the Honda CR-V. Data from the investigation indicated Aponte was driving 60.3 mph in a 35 mph zone and was using a cell phone at the time of the collision.
Shakesha Desence was ejected from the vehicle and later died at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. Dilean Desence was pronounced dead at the scene. The child, identified as Dilean’s grandson, was transported to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital with serious injuries.
Aponte was booked into the Pinellas County Jail and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury.