Sarasota detectives charge one shooting suspect, search for another

SARASOTA -- The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested a convicted felon and is still searching for the other suspect involved in a weekend shooting in Sarasota.

At approximately 1:15 a.m. Sunday, deputies responded to the 4600 block of Tri Par Drive where witnesses described the suspects as two Hispanic males in a burgundy pickup truck.

According to reports, one man entered the truck and handed a black handgun to the other suspect who subsequently fired several shots at two victims but missed.

Detectives later executed a search warrant on a burgundy pickup truck in the parking lot registered to Fransisco Esquivel, 23. Two shell casings and a round of live ammunition were found in the vehicle.

During a photo lineup, witnesses identified Miguel Rodriguez, 23, of Sarasota, as the suspect who fired the weapon and fled in a black pickup truck.

While at the scene of the crime Tuesday, detectives saw Esquivel exit an apartment carrying a rolled-up hand towel, enter a vehicle and flee the neighborhood.

When a traffic stop was initiated, deputies discovered three loaded firearms wrapped inside a hand towel hidden under his seat. Ammunition in one of the weapons matched the shell casings used in the shooting Sunday.

Esquivel was arrested and transported to the Sarasota County jail.

Detectives charged Esquivel with four counts possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, two counts of being a principle to attempted murder and grand theft of a firearm. He was held without bond. Esquivel was just released from prison in December and has 16 prior convictions.

Detectives believe Rodriguez was the shooter and may have fled the state, according to the report. There is a warrant for his arrest for two counts of attempted murder.

Rodriguez is described as 5-foot-1, 160 pounds, with teardrop tattoos under each eye. He may be traveling in a black F-150 with license plate No. 266MVW.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Mark Lefebrve at 861-4932 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers by calling 941-366-TIPS (8477), or online atsarasotacrimestoppers.com.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Sarasota detectives charge one shooting suspect, search for another ."