Tampa, Florida -- Police say they have arrested a third suspect wanted in connection with the beating of a MacDill soldier in South Tampa last week.
Tampa Police officers arrested Jared Richardson on Sunday night and say he's one of four men who brutally beat and robbed Army Sgt. Johnny Aparicio.
Photo Gallery: Soldier beaten and robbed in South Tampa
How they found him
Detectives say they tracked Richardson with a mix of tips from the community, old fashioned investigating and interviewing, and the surveillance video that has given this case national attention.
A camera on a home captured the vicious beating. But a few minutes before that, it showed a Chevy Impala passing through that same intersection of Iowa Avenue and Renellie Drive.
Police say when their investigation led them to their third suspect, Jared Richardson, he was driving that very Impala.
It's the same, right down to a fast-blinking turn signal on the right-hand side.
Detectives say it's the car Richardson used to drive all four of the suspects to and from the robbery scene on Sunday, May 13th.
Richardson's role
Richardson is 18 and a senior at Brandon High School. A school district spokesman told 10 News that due to the seriousness of these charges, he will not return to that school.
The motive for the beating? Police say it doesn't appear to be gang-related or a hate crime; Investigators say it looks like a crime of opportunity and an unprovoked attack.
Police say Richardson is the man who ran in from the left in the video of the beating and joined in the brutality a was also the one who stole Aparicio's wallet.
Police have not tracked down the soldier's wallet or cell phone yet. But they say they did find clothing in Richardson's Brandon home that matches clothes worn by the running suspect in the video.
Police arrested Richardson at 7 p.m. Sunday outside a LaQuinta Inn in the Regency area of Brandon. They say he had a small bag of pot in his pocket.
Detectives say Richardson chose to waive his right to remain silent and confessed to his role in the beating and robbery.
He's facing two felony charges: strong arm robbery and aggravated battery.
Other suspect in court
Another beating suspect was in court Monday morning. Attorneys for Geroshe Lewis wanted his bond dropped down from $50,000.
On the other hand, prosecutors wanted the bond taken away entirely from Lewis and from another suspect, Larome Howard, who police say threw the first sucker-punch at Aparicio.
Judge Walter Heinrich will have both Lewis and Howard in his courtroom Tuesday. Then likely Thursday, he'll decide whether to take away that bond and keep both men locked up until their trials.
Fourth suspect
There is a fourth suspect still out there. Tampa Police Lieutenant Mary O'Connor was quite confident when asked about the search for that man.
Dozens of officers are on the case and detectives are actively working several leads, she said, and she hopes to have the man arrested in the next day or so.
Sgt. Aparicio, who is stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, suffered a broken nose, lost a tooth, and had his eye swollen shut after that beating, according to police. He's now recovering.
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