SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — A Sumter County man is charged with murder and kidnapping after investigators said he killed a teen, then kidnapped a woman.
It’s a crime that’s shaken a small Bushnell neighborhood and left them searching for answers.
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A quiet Saturday morning quickly came to an end when Sumter County crime scene investigators were called after reports of gunfire around 6:30 a.m.
Inside the home they found a 14-year-old boy dead.
Investigators said Victoria Harris had also been kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, Samuel Marvin Thomas.
***UPDATE*** The victim, Vikki Harris has been found and she is safe. The suspect is in custody in Citrus County. More...
Posted by Sumter County Sheriff's Office-Florida on Saturday, October 17, 2020
Deputies quickly started searching for them. Nearly six hours later, Harris was able to escape near Wildwood, and make contact with authorities.
With her help, they were able to use traffic cameras to track down Thomas in Citrus County.
When confronted, deputies said he drove the stolen truck he was driving into a lake, then tried to swim away before he was caught.
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***UPDATE*** The victim, Vikki Harris, has been found and she is safe. The suspect is in custody in Citrus County....
Posted by Sumter County Sheriff's Office-Florida on Saturday, October 17, 2020
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Thomas was taken to a Citrus County hospital for a medical evaluation.
Back in Harris' neighborhood, people are trying to figure out what led to the violence that claimed the life of the teen they remember fondly.
He faces a long list of charges including first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed burglary, and fleeing to elude. He will be held in jail with no bond.
See a map of the scene below:
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