3 Tampa Teens Charged As Adults In Attempted Murder Of Homeless Man: State Attorney

TAMPA, FL — Three Tampa teenagers accused of brutally beating a homeless man last month are now being charged as adults with second-degree attempted murder, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

The defendants are 13-year-old Samari Bryant, 14-year-old Corliss Sirmons and 16-year-old Javonnie Council, the office said.

They will be transferred from juvenile detention to an adult facility. Prosecutors said they will seek to have the teens held without bond pending trial.

It’s Patch policy only to name minors accused of a crime if they’re being charged as an adult.

Prosecutors said the teens admitted to police that they were looking for homeless people to target because they were bored.

The alleged attack happened on July 13 outside a Walgreens at 3917 N. Nebraska Ave.

• Also Read: 3 Teens Attacked Woman, Homeless Man Out Of Boredom, Tampa Police Say

Tampa police found the 64-year-old man lying on the ground with cuts to his face, significant swelling and a crooked nose. He was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury, broken ribs and other severe injuries, the state attorney’s office said.

The man was unable to tell investigators what happened because he was on a medically necessary ventilator following the attack, prosecutors added.

State Attorney Suzy Lopez said charging minors as adults is “one of the most serious decisions” her office makes.

“But we also have a responsibility to protect this community and stand up for victims who cannot stand up for themselves,” Lopez said in a statement.

She continued, “These defendants went looking for a homeless person to target because they were bored. They found a vulnerable older man and beat him so brutally that he was left with a traumatic brain injury and unable to speak for himself from his hospital bed. No human being should be treated as a target for someone else’s entertainment. Given the severity of the violence and the disturbing nature of these defendants’ actions, these charges are appropriate and necessary to hold each defendant accountable for this crime.”

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