Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Apprehends Man Two Years After Fatal Shooting of Leon Michael Washington
TAMPA, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of a second suspect in the 2023 murder of Leon Michael Washington, bringing a significant new development to a case that has remained active for over two years. Jaylen Whittaker, 24, was taken into custody on August 11, 2025, and is facing charges of Premeditated First-Degree Murder with a Firearm.
The arrest follows a diligent and prolonged investigation into the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Washington, who was found with a fatal gunshot wound on May 29, 2023, on the 6800 block of North 50th Street in Tampa. The initial incident, a drive-by shooting, took place around 2:15 p.m., in front of the Del Rio Apartments.
Witnesses at the time described a gold Hyundai Elantra leaving the scene. Surveillance footage confirmed the vehicle’s presence, leading detectives to its driver, Jalen Lavar Rogers, 28. Rogers was arrested on June 15, 2023, and charged as a principal to premeditated first-degree murder…