TAMPA, Fla. (CBS12) — A Hillsborough County man is facing a first-degree murder charge following the death of a 65-year-old woman who was brutally attacked and robbed in late 2024.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), deputies responded to University Area Park on December 26, 2024, where they found Cerida Charon, 65, severely injured and unconscious after a violent assault.
Surveillance footage reviewed by deputies showed Antonio Gueits approaching Charon and striking her in the face, causing her to collapse. The video then shows Gueits stomping on her head multiple times while she lay unconscious. He fled the scene with her purse.
“This was a completely senseless and inhumane attack over nothing more than a purse,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.
Charon was hospitalized for months with serious injuries, including broken bones and a brain bleed. She succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead on Sunday at Morton Plant Hospital. An autopsy by the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that blunt force trauma was the cause of death.
Gueits was arrested the day after the attack and initially charged with:
Aggravated battery with great bodily harm on a victim over 65
Robbery less than $750
Felony battery
Tampering with physical evidence
Following Charon’s death, Gueits now faces a first-degree murder charge. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials are committed to ensuring justice is served.
