Joshua Rosa Murder of Stephen Thomlinson, 13 Florida
Sheriff: Teen Found Dead In Park Was Strangled POSTED: 5:29 pm EST December 12, 2005 TAMPA, Fla. -- A 13-year-old boy whose body was found in a north Tampa park last week died from being strangled, authorities said Monday. Deputies continued to search for the killer of seventh-grader Stephen Donald Tomlinson, whose body was found Thursday night by some teens walking through a park in the boy's neighborhood. Witnesses said the body was bloody and beaten. "It's clearly a murder investigation," said Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee. Gee added that 35 of the agency's investigators were working on the case. A 19-year-old neighbor was interviewed at the scene but has not been charged by deputies. A witness said the 19-year-old man walked out of the park Thursday night carrying a flashlight and had gloves in his pockets. Neighbors have vowed to hold nightly vigils at the park until the crime is solved. http://www.wftv.com/news/5520414/detail.html

Father Of Slain Teenager Calls For Changes At Park By MIKE WELLS mwells@tampatrib.com Published: Dec 11, 2005 TAMPA - Furious and grief-stricken, the father of a slain 13-year-old boy asked on Saturday for changes to the county park where his child died. Ron Tomlinson wants better lighting at Logan Gate Park to brighten areas he described as "pitch black" at night, a concrete barrier wall and for the park to be renamed in memory of his son, Stephen Donald Tomlinson. It's all for the sake of other families, he said, so that they won't have to live the same nightmare. Neighbors say they are prepared to sign a petition to convince county leaders that changes are necessary. A group of teens found the seventh-grader at 7:40 p.m. Thursday in the rear of Logan Gate Village subdivision in northwestern Hillsborough County. Stephen suffered blunt trauma to his upper body. There were no arrests in the case as of late Saturday; however, deputies on Friday twice interviewed a person of interest, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Witnesses said that person was the 19-year-old man who walked out of the park with gloves in his pockets and carrying a flashlight before the body was found. He cried out that someone had been hurt, and others restrained him until deputies arrived. Deputies were seen Friday carrying bags of evidence from the man's home, which is across the street from the victim's home on Mondragon Drive. Carter declined to discuss the items. Neighbor Lori Stuart said Stephen often offered to help her with yard work. "I'd be raking leaves and he'd walk up and ask if I wanted him to help me," she said. "That's the kind of kid he was. He'd be mowing neighbor's yards. Helping out where he could, he always did." Speaking from the driveway of his home, Tomlinson sat surrounded by friends and family, determined to not let the teen be forgotten. "We're doing a vigil in the park at 7 p.m. every night until this guy is caught," he said. "We want constant attention paid to this." Stephen lived two blocks from the park with his father and two half siblings, 13-year-old Cherie and 15-year-old Ronnie. The family cannot afford a funeral and is hoping someone will assist them in setting up a trust to accept donations. http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBEH6MT2HE.html

Questions And Pain Survive 13-Year-Old By ELIZABETH LEE BROWN , The Tampa Tribune Tampa Bay Online TAMPA - The family of a 13-year-old boy found dead at a county park struggled Friday to make sense of the slaying. Relatives and neighbors were asking why Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office detectives did not hold a 19-year-old neighbor who was seen fleeing the woods and whom investigators consider a person of interest. Stephen Donald Tomlinson, a seventh-grader at Davidsen Middle School, was found dead about 7:40 p.m. Thursday in the rear of Logan Gate Village subdivision, off Henderson Road in northwestern Hillsborough County between Carrollwood and Citrus Park. The boy lived about two blocks away with his father and two half siblings, 13-year-old Cherie and 15-year-old Ronnie. His body was discovered by a group of teenage boys walking through the park. Neighbor Juan Rivera, who lives across from the park, said a 19-year-old man walked out of the park Thursday night carrying a flashlight and with gloves in his pockets. The man cried, "Somebody got hurt. Somebody got hurt," Rivera said. When the teenagers discovered the body, Rivera called 911 and held the man until deputies arrived. "He said, 'I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I didn't kill him. I didn't kill him,' " Rivera said. Detectives did not hold the 19-year-old neighbor, whom they consider a person of interest and probably will talk to again, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Family and neighbors said the man lived across the street from Stephen and went to the same church. On Friday afternoon, two deputies stood guard on the front lawn of a house across from where Stephen lived. The 13-year-old suffered blunt trauma to the upper body, authorities said. It is up to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office to determine the cause of death. Family and neighbors said Stephen was an easygoing teen - a well-liked boy who tended to hang out with the older children. Ron Tomlinson said his son often could be seen riding his skateboard or bicycle. He also liked PlayStation 2 video games. Pokemon was his favorite. "Stephen was a great kid, an all-round great kid," said Tomlinson, 45, who moved to Logan Gate Village six years ago. "There was nobody that didn't love Stephen." He Wanted To Be A Lawyer Or Engineer The teenager was having problems in school, but his grades recently started improving, said Tomlinson, a single father who is disabled from a back injury. Don Tomlinson, Stephen's uncle, said his nephew dreamed of becoming a lawyer or an engineer to "build big buildings." "He was real smart," he said. "He was the only kid I knew who actually went to school and stayed late to advance. That's what a positive attitude he had. Everywhere he went, he sparkled." Half brother Chris Tomlinson, of Georgia, said Stephen was a source of hope for the family. "We thought we were going to have a nice Christmas this year. His whole family loved him. It's a tragedy what happened," he said. A Cross, Some Plants And A Picture By Friday afternoon Rivera had set up a memorial in front of the park. A white cross featured a photo of Stephen. A picture of Jesus hung on a red string. Two red poinsettias covered the ground. Stephen's mother, Loralie Gallagher, who visited the site where her son's body was found Friday, said it gave her a little peace. "My son was a good kid, an exceptional little boy. He didn't deserve this. I just know my son's special," said Gallagher, who lives off Van Dyke Road. Stephen called her two weeks ago to tell her he loved her. At Davidsen Middle School on Friday, a crisis team met Stephen's bus and talked to students before they went into the school. "There was a lot of raw emotion," said Vito Ricciardi, who leads the district's crisis team. Sydney Brennan and her mother talked about it before school so the 11-year-old would be prepared when she got there. Her father, Tom, said it was an opportunity to reinforce why the family has rules about talking to strangers. "You never know," Tom Brennan said as he picked up Sydney from school. Sydney, a sixth-grader, and her friend Ayushe Misra said Friday was an emotional day for many of their classmates. Students left class to talk to counselors, and some of Stephen's friends decided to keep talking and opted out of a field trip to see "The Chronicles of Narnia." "A lot of people were bawling and crying," said Ayushe, 11. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10406103/

Murder suspect charged Friday, January 6, 2006 A suspect has been arrested in the murder of 13-year-old Stephen Tomlinson in December. Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee said Joshua Rosa, 19, has been charged with Tomlinson's murder on Dec. 8 at Logan Gate Park in the Carrollwood area of Tampa. Rosa, of 12412 Mondragon Dr. in Tampa, was arrested at work without incident Friday evening at the Sports Authority store on Fowler Avenue, where he worked as a sales clerk. He has been charged with first-degree murder in Tomlinson's death. Rosa had been a person of interest since Tomlinson's murder. Deputies questioned him on the night of the murder, but released him. Gee said that late Friday afternoon the sheriff's office received a report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement indicating that Tomlinson's DNA was found on nail clippers belonging to Rosa and blood on gloves belonging to Rosa was Tomlinson's blood. Gee also said that Rosa's statements to detectives were inconsistent. "The only consistent thing about his statements was their inconsistency," Gee said. Stephen Tomlinson was 13 when he was killed. Rosa and Tomlinson were acquaintances and lived near each other. Gee said there is evidence that Tomlinson struggled with his attacker before he died. Gee said the sheriff's office does not have a motive for the murder, but Tomlinson's clothing was in disarray when he was found. The sheriff's office has kept Rosa under surveillance since the murder. He is being held without bond. http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006/1/6/137833.html

No decision on park closure Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Some Hillsborough County residents want to make sure tragedy doesn't strike again in a Tampa park. Thirteen-year-old Stephen Tomlinson was murdered last month in Logan Gate Park in the Citrus Park area of Hillsborough County. Joshua Rosa is charged with first-degree murder in Tomlinson's death. Homeowners near the park and county planners met Tuesday night to discuss what can be done to improve safety at the park. Community leaders and the sheriff's office say the park is secluded and a magnet for mischief. They want to find a better use for the park, perhaps turning it into a dog park or even closing it. Tomlinson's father Ron Tomlinson said the park should be preserved. "My son took his last breath in there," Tomlinson said. "Put some lights in there. Make some security. Do it the right way." Other residents suggested putting a fence, or possibly lighting, around the park. But typically Hillsborough County parks do not have lights at night unless there is staffing. County commissioners will have the final say on what happens with the park. Bay News 9

Murder charge stuns friends of suspect Some are convinced of Joshua Rosa's guilt but others who know him as an outstanding young man struggle to understand the arrest. By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK, Times Staff Writer Published January 9, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAMPA - The idea that 19-year-old Joshua Rosa strangled and killed his 13-year-old neighbor Stephen Tomlinson last month didn't jibe with reality for educators at Alonso High School, where Rosa graduated in 2004. Principal Sandy Bunkin said she had only good memories of Rosa as a "great cadet" on the school drill team and in the ROTC program. He seemed well-adjusted and was a good student, she said. ROTC leaders agreed. "He was one of the best kids I've ever worked with in 12 years," said Sgt. Major Rodney Williamson, one of the school's ROTC leaders. "I find this very hard to believe." Rosa was trustworthy, honest and had high morals - in all, an "outstanding young man," added Major Charles Organ, also with the ROTC program. "He would be one of the last persons I would think would do something like that," Organ said of murder charge that Rosa faces. Rosa was arrested late Friday at the Sports Authority on E Fowler Avenue, where he worked. He had previously been questioned on Dec. 8, the night Stephen's body was found in Logan Gate Park. Rosa, who was on suicide watch at the Orient Road Jail without bond, even impressed his neighbors in the Logan Gate subdivision of Carrollwood. He attended church regularly, taking a leadership role in youth activities, which led adults including Stephen Tomlinson's father to trust him around their children. "My brother felt safe with him because they were churchgoing people," said Patsy Driggers, Stephen's aunt. She said Rosa's family was taking the arrest hard. "The kid's mother (Raquel Rosa) was a sweet person. I know his family is broken up. Both families are heartbroken," Driggers said. The family, which lived across the street from the Tomlinson home for about 15 years, could not be reached for comment. They put their home, now vacant, up for sale a week ago and disconnected their phone number. Juan Rivera, who lives across the street from Logan Gate Park, said he often saw Rosa jog through the neighborhood. Rosa was known to be athletic, winning the beginner's division in fencing at the spring 2002 Sunshine State Games in Lakeland. After graduating from Alonso, Rosa attended Hillsborough Community College, most recently this past fall. In the Logan Gate neighborhood, friends of the Tomlinson family celebrated Rosa's arrest with a Sunday barbecue. About 40 people went out to the park where Stephen's body was found. They remain convinced of Rosa's guilt, just as they were before his formal arrest. "I know he did it," said Rivera, whose son, also Juan, was among the group of teens that discovered Stephen's battered body on Dec. 8. "I was one of the first ones there." Stephen's father, Ron, also had no doubts. "There's just too much DNA evidence," he said. Staff writer Amber Mobley contributed to this report. Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at 813 269-5304 or solochek@sptimes.com http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/09/Hillsborough/Murder_charge_stuns_f.shtml

Rosa to be arraigned today Monday, February 6, 2006 Joshua Rosa, accused of killing 13-year-old Stephen Tomlinson in early December, will be arraigned today in Hillsborough County court. Tomlinson was found strangled in a wooded area of Logan Gate Park about two blocks from his Carrollwood home. Rosa, a 20-year-old youth minister, became a prime suspect once police began questioning witnesses. They told investigators they saw Rosa at the park about the time of Tomlinson's death. Sheriff detectives found Rosa's keys under Tomlinson's body. Rosa told police he lost the keys while jogging, but later told police he found Tomlinson's body and tried to revive him. Rosa was arrested a month ago today. He was scheduled to be arraigned on January 23, but the judge rescheduled to today so Rosa could hire an attorney. Bay News 9

Man pleads not guilty in teen's strangling death an ABC Action News report 02/06/06 TAMPA - A bay area man charged with killing his 13-year-old neighbor says he didn't do it. Joshua Rosa entered a plea of not guilty in court Monday. The 20-year-old is charged with the murder of Stephen Tomlinson, a neighbor of his who was found dead in a neighborhood park in December. Rosa is accused of strangling the 13-year-old, and prosecutors say they have DNA evidence which proves Rosa is the killer. Neither Rosa nor his attorney had much to say during the brief arraignment. The victim's father, Ron Tomlinson, was on hand for the arraignment, but also declined to comment. Rosa's next scheduled court date is April 5. http://www.abcactionnews.com/stories/archive/060206rosa.shtml

Church's support of murder suspect angers victim's father an ABC Action News report 04/07/06 CITRUS PARK - After 13-year-old Stephen Tomlinson was murdered last December, deputies charged a youth group leader with the crime. Now, to the disbelief of the teen's father, the church is supporting the accused killer. Joshua Rosa, 20, pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the death of Stephen Tomlinson. Tomlinson's strangled body was found in a wooded area of Logan Gate Park last year. Stephen's father says he can't believe Rosa's courtroom demeanor. "Disgusting, I mean smiling, like it didn't matter. But it does matter to me because that's my son he took," Ron Tomlinson said. That rage intensified when the elder Tomlinson found out Rosa's church was soliciting donations from church members on a website for Rosa's defense. . "Don't just put a website up there and say he needs money for an attorney. Please put the fact on there that he is charged with premeditated murder and a capital offense," Ron complained. Pastor Richard Guzman says his congregation is just trying to help a family and a kid in trouble. "As a church we are suppose to pray for him and support him," he said. "He is good kid, very cooperative, smart, intelligent." That support brought in anonymous threats, and the pastor just removed the plea for money from website. "Because of the harassment through the phone and through the emails and whatnot," he explained. On a personal note, the pastor wanted to address Ron Tomlinson directly. "Three years ago, my daughter passed away. I'm still grieving, so I can identify with yourself and I know you're grieving as a father. However, the church has been praying for you, your family, as well as the Rosa family," Guzman said. Pastor Guzman says his congregation believes Rosa is not guilty and he prays they'll find the real killer. Ron Tomlinson says they'll find the real killer in court because of Rosa's DNA evidence. http://www.abcactionnews.com/stories/2006/04/060407rosa.shtml#top

Father of murdered teen hopes to stop another tragedy Sunday, December 10, 2006 5:17 A year after the murder of a Carrollwood teenager, changes are on the way at the park where he was killed. Stephen Tomlinson, 13, was killed at Logan Gate Park in Hillsborough County on Dec. 8, 2005. Since then, Tomlinson's father, Ron Tomlinson, has been demanding lighting and other improvements be made so another child doesn't die there. Stephen Tomlinson was strangled behind the thick bushes that surround the park. The night was a dark one and the park has only one light. It wasn't working that night. Since then, Ron Tomlinson has led the crusade to make the park safer. "Put some lights back there," Tomlinson said. "Make some security. Do it the right way." It's been a long process with a few community meetings, but Hillsborough County's parks department finally has the money to make some improvements. The county says it will make $170,000 in improvements at Logan Gate Park by spring 2007. "We're going to put a dog park in," said John Brill, a spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. "We're going to remove some of the underbrush, do some improved lighting for security purposes, improve the restroom, take a look at the parking lot and try to fix that up a little bit and give a facelift to the park." Tomlinson says that's not enough. "I think there should be a baseball field and something nice for people," he said. Tomlinson also wants the county to get rid of some of the bushes that surround the park. He believes that could have prevented his son's death last year. Tomlinson also said he won't stop fighting until there's more security at the park to keep people from lingering in the park after hours. "They need to pass a law that the park will close at sundown and they need to make people leave," Tomlinson said. "They don't do a good job of it." Tomlinson said he'll take his fight to state lawmakers if necessary. A public meeting to talk about the plans for Logan Gate Park will take place at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Carrollwood Meadows Recreation Center. Ron Tomlinson is also waiting to find out what happens to the man accused of killing his son. Twenty-year-old Joshua Rosa has been charged with Stephen Tomlinson's murder. Rosa returns to court Jan. 17 and a trial date is expected to be set then. http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006/12/10/205897.html?title=Father+of+murdered+teen+hopes+to+stop+another+tragedy