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Man arrested in connection to fatal Plant City shooting after fleeing state: HCSO

Plant City shooting
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PLANT CITY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said a suspect was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in Plant City after fleeing the scene and crossing multiple state lines.

HCSO said deputies responded to a reported shooting at the intersection of the westbound Interstate 4 entrance ramp and Branch Forbes Road at around 4 a.m. on March 22.

Deputies found a man with upper-body trauma, who was pronounced dead at the scene, according to HCSO.

On March 23, 2026, investigators said they determined the suspected shooter, 36-year-old Maico Carbajal, had fled Hillsborough County and was traveling westbound on Interstate 10.

The report said Carbajal was tracked through Alabama and Louisiana into Texas.

HCSO said with the assistance of the Chambers County Sheriff's Office, Carbajal was located and taken into custody without incident.

According to the report, detectives determined the shooting stemmed from an earlier disturbance involving several individuals at a nearby bar.

The individuals later encountered each other again at a gas station and the situation escalated, which deputies said led to the shooting.

Deputies said Carbajal is awaiting extradition to Hillsborough County at a jail in Anahuac, Texas, and is facing a first-degree premeditated murder charge.

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