DAVENPORT, Fla. – One man is dead and another is locked up after a plan to commit a robbery during a drug deal ended in gunfire, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced during a news conference Wednesday.
During the conference, Judd said the victim in this case — Christian MacDonald, 44 — called Robert Cruceta-Pimentel to buy marijuana late Tuesday night.
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The pair met up at the Tropicana Resort Motel along U.S. Highway 27, with MacDonald entering the passenger-side front door of the Cruceta-Pimentel’s vehicle, Judd explained.
“They often do business together. Robert is also an Uber driver,” Judd stated. “So he drives to the motel... and he meets with MacDonald, who drives his vehicle there.”
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Unknown to MacDonald, Cruceta-Pimentel had brought another man named Harold Cruz, 33, to a convenience store close by, Judd said.
While MacDonald and Cruceta-Pimentel were negotiating the drug deal, Cruz got into the back seat of the car and began demanding drugs and money, threatening to kill them both if they didn’t comply, Judd explained.
According to Judd, Cruz started hitting MacDonald with an apparent firearm, which later turned out to be a fake gun made from a screwdriver and a piece of wood.
However, MacDonald pulled out a handgun he had been concealed carrying and shot into the back seat, killing Cruz, Judd said.
“This guy’s really good. He shot 10 times, hitting Harold Cruz — well, we’ve counted 12 holes, some of them can be entrances and exits...” Judd said. “One of the 12 shots hits Cruz dead in the center of the forehead.”
Both MacDonald and Cruceta-Pimentel got out of the car and began making up a story to tell investigators, with Cruceta-Pimentel throwing the marijuana, Cruz’s belongings and the fake firearm over a fence near the motel, Judd said.
Despite that, investigators said they later found the items and eventually figured out what happened.
Detectives added that Cruceta-Pimentel had been friends with Cruz, with both of the men planning out the attempted robbery.
“This is another example of how dangerous illegal drug transactions can be,” Judd said. “The drug dealer conspired with his friend to commit a robbery that resulted in his friend’s death. Now, the drug dealer is going to prison. How did that work out for him?”
Cruceta-Pimentel faces charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, providing false information to law enforcement, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, maintaining a vehicle for drug sales, two counts of tampering with physical evidence and varied drugs charges. He is held on no bond.
Meanwhile, MacDonald was determined to be the victim of the robbery and is not facing charges in the shooting.
“Christian, from the early stages of the investigation, appears to be a victim and has been released to go home,” Judd said.
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