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Hillsborough deputies searching for person of interest in Westchase death investigation

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Posted at 4:02 PM, Apr 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-26 23:17:38-04

WESTCHASE, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help searching for a person of interest in a death investigation.

The sheriff's office said on Friday, April 23, around 3 p.m., deputies were called to the scene for reports of a person down and a dead man with upper body trauma in the area of the 9900 block of Sheldon Road in Westchase.

Detectives are now investigating the death as a homicide and believe it was an isolated incident.

On Monday, detectives determined a person of interest. The man is described as a man in his 50s, around 6'0" to 6'5" and has a thin build.

Detectives said the person of interest is believed to frequent the area of Nebraska Ave. and Crawford Street. Surveillance video of the man can be viewed here.

While HCSO is not naming the vicim due to the agency’s interpretation of Marsy’s Law, family members identify him as Robert Stanley.

“Please find who did this because it’s really tearing my family apart,” said Otis Stanley, the victim’s nephew. “I haven’t slept. I wish to God that we get a hold whoever did this as soon as we can so we can have relief for my family.”

Otis Stanley believes the person responsible followed his uncle out of a Seminole Heights pawn shop on Friday, seeing the man in his 70s as an easy target.

ABC Action News spotted a pawn shop located at the intersection HCSO detailed on Monday.

“I just don’t understand why someone would take his life like that,” said Otis Stanley.

Anyone who recognizes him is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.