An off-duty deputy from Mississippi helped capture them, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.

RIVERVIEW – An off-duty deputy visiting from Mississippi chased off two burglars from his family’s Riverview home and helped Hillsborough County deputies find the men hiding out in a nearby business.

Jovanni Christian Lozano, 18, of Gibsonton, was charged with one count each of aggravated assault, armed burglary, and burglary of a structure. Kevin Antonio Noriega Cruz, 18, of Brandon, was charged with one count each of aggravated assault, armed burglary, burglary of a structure, and possession of cocaine. They are suspects in other property crimes in the immediate area that the Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said Lozano and Cruz, 18, used a landscaping rock to shattered the bedroom window of a home on Whispering Hammock Drive in Riverview, around 7:07 p.m. Monday (July 23).

While entering the bedroom on the backside of the house, the homeowner’s son-in-law, James Murray, 48, arrived at the home. Murray works with the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, outside of Hattiesburg, MS.

Lozano and Noriega Cruz ran away from the home. As Murray chased after them, Lozano fired one shot from a handgun at him, but he missed.

“When the guy pulled a weapon on me, I knew I’d have to just keep eyes on him and get as much information to the dispatcher as possible,” Murray told Hillsborough deputies.

Deputies used Murray’s information to converge on the area, with the help of the aviation and K-9 units. Aviation pilots saw the two fleeing into the office of a nearby closed business to hide.

The K-9 team entered the Riverview Flower Farm, 10320 Tucker Jones Road, where one of the dogs, Specter, indicated on a locked office door inside the building. The two were arrested without incident.

Murray said, “As a deputy myself with 21 years’ experience, this was impressive. The response was quick. I was very impressed with the amount of resources used on this.”

Photo shows Kevin Antonio Noriega Cruz, left, and Jovanni Christian Lozano.

Hillsborough Sheriff | Crime | Burglary | Arrests | Tampabay News

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