Florida man reportedly shoots at a car with child inside, sentenced to 10 years

FLORIDA – A Tampa man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after allegedly shooting at a vehicle with a child inside, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO) has announced.

U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Deron Lamar Foster, 35, of Tampa, to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court also ordered Foster to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the commission of the offense. Foster pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.

According to court documents, Foster’s former significant other (Victim 1) and their six-year-old child (Victim 2) were victims of a shooting that occurred outside a Tampa apartment complex. Foster and Victim 1 had been arguing and were no longer living in the same residence at the time of the shooting.

Victim 1 reportedly arrived at the apartment using a rideshare service. Victim 1 exited the vehicle and placed Victim 2 in the backseat of the rideshare vehicle while she went inside her apartment to retrieve a few belongings.

Shortly after, the driver of the rideshare vehicle (Victim 3) reportedly heard five to six gunshots and realized someone was firing a gun at his car. Victim 3 fled from the apartment parking lot, with Victim 2 in the backseat, and flagged down an officer at a nearby pawn shop.

Officers allegedly observed two bullet holes in Victim 3’s vehicle—one on the driver’s side door and one on the rear passenger door. Victim 2 had been sitting in the rear middle seat of the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

After the shooting, Foster reportedly fled from the area but was arrested several days later by deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. At the time of his arrest, Foster allegedly possessed a loaded firearm. Analysis revealed it was the same firearm that had been used during the shooting at the apartment complex, the USAO said.

According to the USAO, Foster had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including child abuse and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. As a result of his convictions, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.