He tried to sell them drugs. When they refused, he tried to rob them, cops say

A Tampa man tried to rob a couple on Clearwater Beach on Wednesday who refused to buy drugs, then chased them in his car, according to Clearwater police.

The incident occurred on the 600 block of Bayway Boulevard at 6:35 p.m.

According to a police report, the male victim said he and his girlfriend were standing near their car when Richard Dacosta, 22, approached them in a black car and asked if they wanted to buy drugs.

When the man replied, “no”, Dacosta implied he had a gun and demanded money.

The victim said Dacosta then continued approaching in an aggressive manner, placing he and his girlfriend in fear for their lives. Police said the couple tried to leave the area in their car, but Dacosta followed and tried to run them off the road several times.

The victims called 911 and would not hang up the phone until police made contact with Dacosta. He was arrested and charged with robbery firearm implied and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle.

We caught up with Dacosta after he posted a $155,000 bond on Thursday. Outside the Pinellas County Jail, Dacosta denied the allegations.

“I chased nobody,” he said. “I did nothing wrong, sir. I wasn’t trying to sell drugs to anybody.”

The victims declined a request for an interview.

This story was originally published June 23, 2017 at 7:48 AM with the headline "He tried to sell them drugs. When they refused, he tried to rob them, cops say."