Crime
43-year-old Yolanda Baxcajay-Flores shot and killed while coming home from the grocery store in Bradenton
Authorities are still investigating a potential motive for this initial incident.
A tragic shooting claimed the life of 43-year-old Yolanda Baxcajay-Flores in Bradenton on Tuesday night, shortly after she returned home from grocery shopping.
The incident marked the second shooting in the area that night.
The first reported shooting occurred around 6 p.m. on November 12, with officers from the Bradenton Police Department responding to reports of gunfire along 8th Avenue East.
In that instance, over ten rounds were fired, damaging several homes and vehicles.
Authorities are still investigating a potential motive for this initial incident.
The second shooting, which ultimately took Yolanda Baxcajay-Flores’s life, happened around 7:30 p.m. on 15th Avenue East, just a few blocks away from the first.
Investigators believe that over 30 shots were fired during the incident. Baxcajay-Flores, returning home from the grocery store, was struck by multiple bullets while still seated in her car.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene quickly, and officers provided aid until EMS personnel arrived.
Baxcajay-Flores was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries overnight. Police confirmed that she was not the intended target of the shooting.
Detectives continued their investigation through the night, working to identify potential suspects and any vehicles involved in the shootings.
As of Wednesday morning, no further details were available.
Bradenton Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact Detective Brian Sands at brian.sands@bradentonpd.com or 941-932-9312, or Detective Jeff Beckley at jeff.beckley@bradentonpd.com or 941-932-9356.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at manateecrimestoppers.com, with tipsters potentially eligible for a reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Crime
18-year-old Kyler Naely charged for the murder in shooting death of 16-year-old Ja’Tycie Williams
An 18-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged in a deadly shooting that occurred in October, which claimed the life of a 16-year-old and injured another.
The incident began on October 6, 2024, shortly after 12:45 a.m., when officers were called to a shooting on I-244 near Yale Avenue.
Upon arrival, they discovered a gray SUV riddled with bullet holes and shattered windows. Investigators determined that seven people were inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting.
Two occupants of the vehicle suffered gunshot wounds.
One victim, 16-year-old Ja’Tycie Williams, sustained critical injuries and succumbed to them several weeks later. The other victim suffered a minor gunshot wound to the arm and survived.
Preliminary investigations revealed the incident was linked to a fight at the Tulsa State Fair earlier that evening.
Witnesses reported that the altercation, which occurred as the group was leaving the fairgrounds, likely escalated into the highway shooting.
Following an in-depth investigation, Tulsa Police Homicide Detectives identified 18-year-old Kyler Naely as the suspect responsible for the shooting.
On November 19, 2024, Naely was arrested, charged with first-degree murder, and booked into the Tulsa County Jail.
Authorities emphasize that the case remains under investigation and are urging anyone with additional information to contact Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS. Callers can remain anonymous.