Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detectives say they have connected a man to two kidnappings, including one in the Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Casino parking garage earlier this month in which the victim was raped.
The other kidnapping occurred in the parking garage of the Hub on Campus Tampa apartment complex.
Dandre McNeil, 25, is facing multiple charges in connection with the two kidnappings. Detectives say they also have tied him to a third case, which was an attempted kidnapping that occurred in Riverview. Detectives believe he could be responsible for more crimes and they are asking additional potential victims to contact them.
“This is an individual who has no respect of the law or persons he victimizes,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement Friday night. “Our hearts are with the victims who endured these horrific crimes. If there are any other victims out there, please come forward, and let us find you the help you may need.”
Sheriff’s officials said in a news release Friday night that the latest incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. They said a man approached the victim in the parking garage of the Hub on Campus Tampa apartment complex with a gun and forced the victim into their vehicle. McNeil forced the victim to “drive him to multiple locations and retrieve an undisclosed amount of money, before finally leaving his victim at the intersections of East Hillsborough Avenue and Orient Road,” the news release states.
The news release states that detectives were able to connect McNeil to the crime through “investigative means,” though no other details were provided.
Detectives also connected him to a similar incident that occurred on Jan. 2 at the Allegro Palm Condominiums in Riverview. In that case, McNeil was armed with a gun when he approached a victim and tried to rob them and force them into a vehicle, officials said. The person was able to escape and was not injured.
Sheriff’s office detectives also collaborated with the Seminole Police Department to connect McNeil to the incident at the Hard Rock parking garage, which occurred on Jan. 7, officials said. The Sheriff’s Office described that case as an “armed kidnapping, robbery, and rape of a another victim,” but did not provide additional details.
The Sheriff’s Office said McNeil is facing several charges including sexual battery, armed robbery, armed kidnapping and battery. He was being held in jail on Friday night.
“If anyone believes they have been victimized by Dandre McNeil, please contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office immediately at (813)247-8200,” the Sheriff’s Office news release states.
