TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Joel Moreno Cobo was charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of a popular Tampa DJ.
Loved ones of Dedrick Sykes plan to lay him to rest, Friday. The 41-year-old is widely known in the community as ‘DJ Shy Guy’.
Investigators said Cobo and Sykes were in cars driving near the intersection of 5th Avenue and 22nd Street in Ybor City, where an argument started and shots were fired.
Evan Chapman, a witness, describes, “We heard the shots; it startled everybody. Everybody went to the balcony. They started looking as we saw the cops. The cops poured in right away. The ambulance followed. It’s kind of a jarring situation.”
Joel Moreno Cobo (Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Cobo told officers he fired the shots in self-defense. Investigators dismissed that claim when they learned Sykes was unarmed and did not make threats at the time of the shooting.
Family and community members have been pushing for an arrest since the time of the incident. Friday, they’ll focus on his legacy.
Tony Parker, a friend, said, “I’m thankful to have crossed paths with him, to meet him.” He adds, “I was only able to be as good as I was because he was great at what he was.”
Cobo was booked into the Hillsborough County jail and is expected to make a first appearance in court on Friday afternoon. According to jail records, the 31-year-old also has an ICE hold.
