Sheriff Seeks Help Locating Seffner Home Burglar Who Stole Rifle

SEFFNER, FL -- The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in identifying and locating a possibly armed man in the Seffner area.

At 4:13 a.m. on Friday, May 3, a home burglary was reported in the 10000 block of State Road 579 in Seffner. One of the items stolen was a rifle. Around 4:20 a.m., while investigating the burglary, another resident called 911 to report seeing a man dressed in black and holding a rifle. The homeowner confronted the man, and the man fled on foot.

At 4:26 a.m. an overnight employee at Commercial Duct Systems, 9707 Williams Road in Seffner, reported seeing a man inside the building who was dressed in black with his face covered and carrying a rifle. The two employees who were inside at the time of the incident left the building before calling 911. Within 10 minutes, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office dispatched multiple units, including SWAT, Bomb, Crisis Negotiators, Aviation and K9, out of an abundance of caution to aid in the search for the armed man and set up a perimeter around the business.

The building was secured and a portion of Williams Road between Harney Road and Joe Ebert Road was shut down. After clearing the building, the armed man was not found.

Anyone with information is asked to call 813-247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).