DOVER, Fla. — Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said a murder suspect being sought after a woman and 4-year-old girl were found at a "gruesome" scene has been captured.
Angel Gabriel Cuz-Choc, 31, was captured Thursday after less than a day on the run. He was wanted after a woman and child were found dead at a "gruesome" scene in a home Wednesday evening.
Deputies were called to a mobile home on the 3700 block of Sumner Road in Dover around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. They were called after receiving a 911 call from a roommate who arrived home and found the victims.
Sheriff Chronister described the scene Wednesday night as "gruesome," with the woman laying in her "own puddle of blood." The sheriff said Cuz-Choc allegedly "stabbed violently, both of them violently."
Chronister said the victims were a 36-year-old woman, later identified as Amalia Coc Choc de Pec, who was romantically involved with Cuz-Choc, and 4-year-old Estrella Anastasia Pec Coc. Both victims were from Guatemala, and the girl's father still lives in that country.
According to Chronister, Cuz-Choc allegedly tried calling his brother and other friends seeking help, but all refused.
Cuz-Choc faces two counts of murder in the first degree with a weapon.
Sheriff Chronister says they believe Cuz-Choc had a three hour head start on his deputies.
After hours of searching, an undercover spotted the suspect.
"One of our gang detectives, our undercover detectives, sees a Hispanic male that possibly could be our suspect, could be this person who committed this crime, this murderer, wearing a heavy heavy jacket, almost like a parka jacket. So he sees this Hispanic male walking out of what is almost like an abandoned barn," the Sheriff said.
Instead of immediately calling out, the undercover continued to watch the suspect.
"He used such great restraint because he knew that if he couldn't capture this murderer before he got into this heavily dense shrubbery in wooded area, that he would make it worse he would take the scent of these K9's," he added.
Sheriff Chronister says the suspect noticed the undercover and took off for the wooded area.
"He runs. He refuses commands to stop and he does just what we were afraid that he would do and he runs into a heavily wooded and dense area with a lot of overgrown vegetation," he said. "When I say overgrown, but you can't see maybe six inches of foot into it nonetheless tried to navigate into it where he is. Well, he might have been able to outrun the visual sight of the deputies, these hard charging deputies that were out here, but he couldn't outrun the scent of this K9."
Although he was able to escape the clench of the dog by taking off the coat, he was eventually caught.
The saga drew attention from the neighbors, like Jordan Glover.
"18 hours. I didn't go into work. I've been here with them 18 hours," he said.
He lives just a few doors down from where the murders happened. From outside his window, he says he saw great work from HCSO.
"Best and fastest I ever seen them, catching the guy the way they did," he explained. "Because it was brutal here last night. My kids didn't go to school. The kids are up all night scared."
Anyone with information about the case is being asked to call 911 or 813-247-8200.
Watch bodycam footage of Cuz-Choc's arrest provided by HCSO below.
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