TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- A suspect in a deadly carjacking was paid $1,500 to "deliver" the victim, according to a federal criminal complaint. Jordanish Torres-Garcia is facing a federal charge of carjacking resulting in death. Torres-Garcia allegedly admitted to being the person who exited a green Acura on April 11 and approached the vehicle of Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvias, 31, with an AR-15. He said he got the AR-15 from an unnamed person near Lake Drive in Casselberry about 30 minutes before the carjacking, according to the complaint. Torres-Garcia made the admissions in a recorde ..read more

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Joe and Deborah Fabrizio always wanted to live on the water. Their dream came true six years ago when they bought a waterfront home in St. Petersburg. But their beautiful view comes at a cost, because as any true Floridian knows, a hurricane can change your life in a matter of hours. So in November, Fabrizio had his home inspected through the My Safe Florida Home Program. "We had an inspector come out and inspect the home," he said. "We went through the whole process and figured out what we can apply for through the Safe Home Program," he said. "But by the time I ..read more

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Talk about an incredible way to wrap up your day! A full Pink Moon was captured during the sunset on Jacksonville Beach on Tuesday evening ..read more

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- A Florida man was arrested after he allegedly beat a transgender woman to death outside "one of the nation's foremost ballet academies" Tuesday morning, according to a report. Gregory Fitzgerald Gilbert, 53, was charged with one count of second-degree murder. Andrea Dorias Dos Passos' body was found in the area of 22nd Street and Liberty Avenue near the Miami City Ballet after an employee "observed what he believed to be a person sleeping outside... near the main entrance," an arrest report obtained by WTVJ said. When authorities arrived, they found blood and trauma ..read more

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa City Council unanimously passed a resolution creating the racial reconciliation committee after a nearly four-year effort. 8 On Your Side has been following Resolution 568 since its inception in 2020. The resolution was an effort to have the City of Tampa apologize for the injustices African Americans have endured since slavery. It also called for the formation of a committee that would help propose policies that would help eliminate any current racial inequities. While the city formally apologized, the committee was never formed. Reso-Racial-Reconciliation-Commi ..read more

Related video: DeSantis greets American evacuees from Israel after they land in Tampa in October 2023. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday the successful rescue of 722 Americans from Haiti on March 20. The rescue effort comes after political turmoil in the country. All the evacuees were given access to resources including food, water, medical treatment, and transportation home ..read more

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a Florida mom who was accused of making her children drink bleach and strangling her toddler to death, according to the State Attorney's Office. An affidavit from Orange County, dated May 2022, showed that Joanne Zephir, of Orlando, stabbed her husband of four years in the stomach because she believed he had been cheating. Hours later, she forced her two daughters, ages 3 and 8, to drink bleach from a "makeshift drinking glass," before strangling her toddler to death ..read more

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a lot to say about suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren at a Wednesday news conference in Redington Shores. However, the governor remained tight-lipped about whether he would remove Warren from his post if he is reelected as the county's top prosecutor this year. When 8 On Your Side's Nicole Rogers asked DeSantis about the potential for a second suspension, he had this to say: If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas. I think it's all going to work out and I think it will be good. Florida Go ..read more

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Stephan Sterns has been charged with first-degree murder in the death and disappearance of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, according to Osceola County court records. Stephan Sterns, who lived with and dated Madeline’s mother, was previously charged with 60 child sex crimes after investigators said they found evidence Sterns sexually abused Madeline dating back to 2019 when she was 8 years old. Kissimmee police said “disturbing” images and video discovered on his phone led to the charges, including sexual battery of a child, lewd and lascivious molestation, and possess ..read more

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida woman, who deputies said was "highly intoxicated," spit on deputies and banged her head on their patrol vehicle after being detained. The Flagler County Sheriff's Office responded to a duplex on Farraday Lane in Palm Coast on Friday evening regarding a report of an intoxicated woman ..read more