TAMPA, Fla. – Joseph Killins, 38, was found and arrested by Tampa police. He is being charged in connection with a theft and sexual assault that happened on April 18.
Kilins has also been accused of robbing another person early in the morning of April 19.
“Thanks to the hard work of every Tampa Police Department employee and the help of people in our community, this criminal is no longer on the streets,” said Interim Chief Lee Bercaw. “I’m still thinking about the victims. I hope this arrest makes them feel better knowing that he will now face justice for the crimes he chose to commit.”
On April 18, 2023, just after 11 p.m., Killins forced a Hispanic woman in her early 20s who was making a DoorDash delivery back into her car. He had a gun in his hand.
Killins threatened the woman with a gun and made her drive to the Belara Lakes Apartments, where he sexually abused her. The victim’s family came to get her out of the car because they had been tracking her phone. Killins shot back several times, hitting a woman in her 20s who was related to the victim’s girlfriend. He then ran away from the scene.
On April 19, someone broke into the Belara Lakes Apartments in the 2100 block of Cool Springs Road. The attacker, who was later named as Killins, threw the victim, a Hispanic woman in her early 40s, to the ground before hitting her and taking her backpack. He was then seen running toward an apartment building called Haven Waters Edge.
Detectives who were working on each of these cases talked to each other as they continued to find leads, collect evidence, and talk to witnesses. The robbery investigation took them to the Tampa Inn at 2901 E. Busch Blvd., where they caught Killins late Friday night.
During the theft investigation, things were found that had to do with the April 18 case. Detectives from the Special Victims Unit called Killins and talked to him. During the interview, he told them specifics about the crimes that happened on April 18.
Killins was charged on April 18 with armed kidnapping, armed robbery, armed sexual battery, and aggravated battery with a weapon.
He is accused of robbing someone on April 19.
