Ocala, Florida — On Sunday, March 30, 2014 at approximately 1:22 a.m., officers responded to Carrington Lane Apartments located at 3001 SE Lake Weir Avenue in reference to a disturbance called in by a neighbor.
When Officer Doug Russell arrived on the scene three subjects exited the residence with blood on them. Officer Russell ordered all subjects to stop but all three subjects fled in separate directions, at which point Officer Russell radioed for backup.
Officer Russell was able to capture one of the suspects identified as Tyler Pedroza, 19, after a short foot pursuit. Suspects later identified as Daniel Guerrero, 19, and Samantha Combs, 20, were located shortly after at a residence in Fore Ranch.
The victims stated that the trio knocked on their door and, once opened, forced entry inside and began beating one of the victims.
According to reports, Guerrero pulled a knife on both victims and threatened to cut them if they called police.
During the fighting Guerrero cut his own finger with the knife, according to reports.
Combs grabbed one of the victims’ cell phone and advised that she was taking it so police could not be called. Both victims suffered minor injuries during this incident. During the incident cell phones and a wallet belonging to one of the victims was stolen.
Upon fleeing, Pedroza threw down a brown leather bag in front of Officer Russell. The bag contained a wallet belonging to one of the victims, various items of drug paraphernalia and 19 tablets of Xanax in a plastic baggie.
Rehan Lalani, 20, and Kensleigh Kotowski, 18, victims of the Home Invasion, were discovered to be destroying marijuana by putting it down the garbage disposal. The two were also found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both “victims” were less than honest about the motive of the Home Invasion, which was later learned to have been about money allegedly stolen from Pendroza by Lalani on a previous date.
Pedroza advised officers that he had contacted Guerrero and Combs in Orlando to come to Ocala and assist him in getting his money back from Lalani.
All five of the persons involved were arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail.