TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Police Department has upgraded a fatal hit-and-run case involving a security guard outside an after-hours nightclub to a homicide investigation.
According to TPD, the incident happened early Sunday, June 7, when the guard was struck by a car on North Armenia Avenue after an altercation inside the Vale nightclub.
The victim’s injuries were fatal, and a friend who was with him sustained minor injuries.
Officials, after speaking with witnesses, identified that 32-year-old Jose Zamora Valdes was asked to leave the club following a dispute with a woman he knew.
As Valdes was being escorted out of the establishment, he pushed the woman he was with, sparking a brief confrontation, then walked to his vehicle, entered, and intentionally ran into the guard.
Valdes fled, and police later impounded the vehicle he was driving.
A judge has issued an arrest warrant for Zamora Valdes on charges of murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Tampa’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the U.S. Marshals Task Force are working to locate him.
Anyone with information is urged to call Tampa police at 813-231-6130 or Crimestoppers of Tampa Bay at 800-873-TIPS.
"Our hearts go out to the family and colleagues of the security guard who lost his life while simply doing his job to keep others safe," said Chief Lee Bercaw. "Using a vehicle as a weapon and driving into unsuspecting victims is a cowardly act, and it has no place in our community. Our officers, detectives, Fugitive Apprehension Unit, and federal partners, are working tirelessly to ensure this dangerous individual is taken off the streets and will face justice for his actions."
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