Tampa Police have arrested 31-year-old Joel Moreno Cobo in connection with the fatal shooting of 41-year-old Dedrick Sykes on November 14. Moreno Cobo faces a charge of second-degree murder.
According to police, the incident occurred at approximately 7:10 p.m. at the intersection of E. 5th Avenue and N. 22nd Street. Officers responding to a report of a shooting found two vehicles—a black BMW sedan and a red Jeep Grand Cherokee—stopped in the roadway. Sykes was found lying on the ground between the cars and later died from his injuries after being transported to a hospital.
Moreno Cobo remained at the scene, where police took possession of his holstered firearm and he cooperated with investigators, initially claiming self-defense.
Chief Lee Bercaw stated, “Justice is rooted in evidence, and that has guided our entire investigation. This arrest is the direct result of patience and precision, ensuring that we could bring a suspect into custody, and provide fact-based answers to a grieving family as they navigate this difficult time.”
Detectives determined that Moreno Cobo had been driving eastbound on E. 5th Avenue when his path was blocked by an SUV at a stop sign. Sykes was behind the SUV in his Jeep Cherokee. After Moreno Cobo flashed his headlights for the SUV to move, both vehicles proceeded forward with Sykes turning westbound onto E. 5th Avenue.
A short verbal exchange followed between Moreno Cobo and Sykes before Sykes stopped his vehicle abruptly, exited it unarmed, and within seconds gunfire ensued resulting in Sykes’s death. Witnesses confirmed that Sykes did not threaten or suggest he was armed during the encounter.
Following their investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Moreno Cobo on November 20. He was taken into custody at his home without incident and booked into Orient Road Jail. His booking photo has not yet been released.
