May 19, 2011 Police arrest suspect in Florida security officer murder www.privateofficer.com
Bradley Bolden, 20, was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder at 9:15 p.m. The motive, according to St. Petersburg police: Bolden said he doesn’t like security personnel or law enforcement officers.
“We were very happy to bring the case to a quick conclusion for the sake of officer Little’s family and co-workers,” said St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz.
Suzan Leyczek, Little’s fiancee, received a call late Tuesday from police about a suspect’s arrest in Little’s murder. Leyczek said she and Little’s parents were elated and sad at the news, which brought her some kind of closure.
“I was surprised how much relief was there and how we felt,” Leyczek, 27, said.
“But at the same time, then it sinks in. Even though they have someone, it’s never going to bring Mathew back.”
She said residents in the area of the shooting would probably feel safer knowing police made an arrest in Little’s
killing.
But the feelings haven’t finished sinking in, and she said an arrest means there will be trial to go through.
“It kind of makes it worse. You’re staring at the person that last saw Mathew alive,” she said, crying. “I don’t know if I actually want to do that.”
Little, 26, of Brandon had spent the past two years working for Critical Intervention Services, a private security firm in Largo. His usual beat was around the University of South Florida in Tampa.
But on Sunday, he was sent to work the night shift in St. Petersburg.
The company was shorthanded after 30 officers reported for military training.
Little parked his patrol car inside the Mariner’s Pointe Apartment complex at 1175 Pinellas Point Drive S around 1 a.m.
Monday. He told dispatch he was going out on foot patrol.
Then gunshots were reported to police at 1:07 a.m.
St. Petersburg officers searched the area but found nothing.
They left at 1:51 a.m. They returned when Little failed to check in. Police officers found his body at 2:09 a.m.
He was lying dead by the pool, between two vehicles. His gun was missing. Multiple gunshots had been fired, police said, and Litttle had been shot above his bullet-resistant vest.
Earlier Tuesday, police said they received several tips linking Bolden to the slaying.
He was also identified by a witness who had seen him run from the complex right after the shooting, carrying two
handguns.
It was 44 hours later when police caught up with Bolden. They said they arrested him in the 1300 block of 66th Avenue S, just north of the sprawling, 368-unit complex. Bolden didn’t resist, police said.
Bolden, whose address was listed as 6701 21st St. S, was not a resident of the complex.
Bolden has never been convicted of a felony in Florida, records show.
He was taken to police headquarters and later Tuesday night admitted that he had shot the security officer, according to St. Petersburg police.
Bolden’s aunt said she believes Bolden was framed by people wanting to collect the reward money.
“The atrociousness of the crime,” said Jackie Gilliam, Bolden’s aunt and guardian. “He doesn’t have the mental or the physical capability to even do anything like that. Everyone knows he’s not that kind of
kid.”
She said Bolden has been diagnosed with a very low IQ and has always been in special education classes. He was taking culinary classes at an institute for students with similar learning disabilities, she said.
She said Bolden sometimes hangs out with friends at the apartment complex where Little was shot, but that night he was at his grandparent’s house on the other side of town. He didn’t know how to drive, she said, and didn’t have friends with cars.
“He didn’t do it. They got the wrong kid,” Gilliam said.
Neighbors also seemed surprised to hear Bolden was the accused killer, as they described him as polite, if not a little strange.
Latrece Washington, 30, said Bolden would often stop by her driveway basketball hoop to shoot one or two baskets with her kids.
“He really wasn’t a bad kid to me,” Washington said, though she noted that he was often seen walking down the
street talking or rapping to himself.
Michele Bemo, 41, said Bolden used to play with her daughter when the two were about 6 or 7 years old.
“It seemed like a nice family they had over there,” she said.
As Bolden got older, Bemo would notice him talking to himself, seeming “out of it.”
“It was kind of strange,” she said.
Police did not release anymore details about the slaying. Detectives were still searching the apartment complex and
surrounding area early this morning, a police spokesman said, looking for two weapons: the gun police say he used against Little and the gun he stole from Little.
This was to be a life-changing year for Little.
He had made the final cut to be selected as a Hillsborough County sheriff’s cadet. He was also planning to marry his fiancée in November. He was a graduate of Sarasota High School and the University of South Florida.
Little’s security firm had offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the capture and conviction in the case.
Police did not disclose what role the reward played in making an arrest or if anyone will receive it.
CIS stepped up its patrols of Mariner’s Pointe after losing one of their own. Little was a popular officer remembered by colleagues for his ability to calm tense situations.
“I guess you could say it was his aura,” said his supervisor, Cpl. Ricky Vargas. “Even when there’s swearing and negativity all around, he came in with a sense of calm.
“You hear about good cop, bad cop. He was always angel cop. The calm one.”
A memorial service for Little will be held May 28 at Twin Lakes Park in his hometown, Sarasota.
Source:TampaBay.com
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