{"id":273,"date":"2026-05-12T17:26:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=273"},"modified":"2026-05-12T17:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:26:09","slug":"plant-city-police-arrest-suspect-in-deadly-vehicle-shooting-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=273","title":{"rendered":"Plant City police arrest suspect in deadly vehicle shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

Kenny Morales-Garcia, 19, was charged with first-degree murder after surrendering to Plant City police on Monday. (Photo: Plant City Police Department)<\/span> <\/p>

Read more Bradenton mother was drinking beer, on cellphone when 4-year-old daughter drowned at party: Documents<\/a><\/p> <\/div><\/div> <\/div>

PLANT CITY, Fla.<\/strong> – <\/span>Kenny Morales-Garcia surrendered to authorities Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of Jesus De La Cruz Hernandez in Plant City on Saturday.<\/p>

Fatal Plant City shooting<\/h2>

The backstory:<\/p>

<\/div>

Plant City police officers went to the area of West Baker Street and Thonotosassa Road around 6:15 p.m. Saturday following reports of a shooting involving two vehicles. Upon arrival, officers said they found 45-year-old Jesus De La Cruz Hernandez having gunshot wounds inside his vehicle.<\/p>

Police began life-saving measures until Plant City Fire Rescue crews arrived. Hernandez was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.<\/p>

Murder suspect surrenders<\/h2>

What we know:<\/p>

Kenny Morales-Garcia, 19, surrendered at the Plant City Police Department with his attorney on Monday. Detectives had previously identified him as a suspect in the case.<\/p>

Morales-Garcia was charged with first-degree murder with a firearm and direct discharge of a firearm from a vehicle. He also faces charges of throwing a deadly missile into a vehicle and criminal mischief.<\/p>

Read more Florida officers sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon over film \u2018The Rip\u2019<\/a><\/p>

Police department investigation<\/h2>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

“This case reflects the relentless work and coordination of our detectives, patrol officers and our law enforcement partners,” Chief Richard Mills Jr. said. He added that he was proud of the professionalism shown by everyone involved in bringing the case to a swift resolution.<\/p>

“Our thoughts and condolences are with the victim\u2019s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” Mills said.<\/p>

Ongoing homicide case<\/h2>

What we don’t know:<\/p>

Police have not released a specific motive for the shooting or explained the relationship between the two men. It is also unclear if any other individuals were inside the two vehicles at the time of the gunfire.<\/p>

Help Plant City police<\/h2>

What you can do:<\/p>

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Plant City Police Department at 813-757-9200.<\/p>

Read more Plant City police arrest suspect in deadly vehicle shooting<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kenny Morales-Garcia surrendered to authorities Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of Jesus De La Cruz Hernandez in Plant City on Saturday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,23],"tags":[8,24],"class_list":["post-273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-plant-city","tag-crime-and-public-safety","tag-plant-city"],"yoast_head":"\nPlant City police arrest suspect in deadly vehicle shooting - Tampa moving journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=273\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Plant City police arrest suspect in deadly vehicle shooting - 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