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Criminal Records - Most Wanted |
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Profile |
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Name: Unknown Sgt. Chris Reyka Killer
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Wanted for :
Murder Of A Police Officer, Pompano Beach, FL;
Aug 10, 2007
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Location(s) |
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Last Seen : |
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Possible Location : |
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Last Known : |
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Traits |
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BSO is searching for at least 3 individuals. |
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Cops say one was the trigger man, another was the getaway driver and the third was in the car. |
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Police say the suspects have been involved in crimes before. |
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Killers may be driving an older model white full-sized American car caught on surveillance minutes after Sgt. Reyka's murder. |
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Case Story |
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Investigation Into Cop Killer Intensifies |
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Since August of 2007, south Florida cops have been searching high and low for the suspects who viciously gunned down Broward County Sheriff Sgt. Chris Reyka. The loss of one of their own has hit BSO deputies hard. Sgt. Reyka was a veteran deputy of 18 years, happily married with four children, and active in his community.
"Chris was a family man, a good person and someone who led by example. His murder was senseless and it was brutal -- the reasons we want to solve this case and bring about justice," said BSO Sheriff Al Lamberti.
Sgt. Reyka was on routine patrol in Pompano Beach in the early morning hours of August 10, 2007 when he pulled into a parking lot behind a 24-hour Walgreens. He drove his marked Broward Sheriff's Office cruiser near a suspicious white vehicle while running tags and looking for stolen vehicles. In April, Sgt. Reyka had been named Deputy of the Month for doing just that, running down suspicious vehicles and closing unsolved cases as a result of his work.
It appears that as Sgt. Reyka got out of his cruiser, someone immediately got out of the white car and opened fire. Ten shots fired in rapid succession from a 9 mm at Sgt. Reyka. Five of those shots struck the deputy, killing him.
It was an ambush.
Customers at the Walgreens heard the shots, found Reyka, and called 9-1-1. Officers responding to the scene canvassed area residences and businesses for clues. They found surveillance video from the Isle of Capris casino nearby the Walgreens. At 1:22 a.m. on the video is a white, full sized American car with tinted windows with a Florida license plate of F16- 8UJ. The car was heading north on Powerline Road, heading away from the scene of the crime. That video was captured two minutes after the murder and less than a mile away.
Right after the news rang out of Sgt. Reyka's murder, cops throughout the region rolled up their sleeves and got to work, knowing that time was of the essence. Their mission: arrest a cop killer ASAP.
A command center was created quickly at the Pompano Beach district office where deputies worked tirelessly tracking down each and every lead, and pounded the pavement hoping to find the suspect or suspects. But, as the days turned into nights, and the weeks became months, the tips stopped flooding in. |
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New Life Into Old Investigation |
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Even though the tips only trickle in now, a command center remains alive at BSO Headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. "This is the heartbeat of the investigation, " said Sgt. Ken Kaminsky, a dedicated homicide cop who oversees the investigation.
Every day, tips still come in and the leads are assigned to be followed up. Sgt. Kaminsky said, everyone at BSO works the unsolved murder of Sgt. Chris Reyka. It's his number one priority to arrest suspects and close the case of one of their own. Now, detectives are going back through the 3,000 leads and re-checking the follow-ups to make sure nothing was missed. It's a massive task.
While Sgt. Reyka's case was ongoing, another investigation was running parellel. It was a case involving a group of suspects involved in serial robberies of 24-hour pharmacies including CVS and Walgreens in south Florida. All along, lead investigators had a gut feeling that their may be a connection between the robberies and the homicide.
"We think it's definitely not a coincidence that Chris was killed at a drug store. With a rash of robberies before and the robberies afterwards, then the arrests that we made. Now they have stopped. We think Chris interrupted something at that drug store," said Sheriff Lamberti.
During that time there were 13 drug store robberies. Masked suspects were caught on surveillance video. Soon, good police work and good leads helped detectives bust 11 men and women. One of those men was Timothy "Back Arms" Johnson, 34, the alleged ringleader in the robberies, according to BSO. Others arrested include Deitrick "Real Deal" Johnson, 22, and Gerald "Dread" Joshua, 27.
Investigators say none of the suspects in the serial robberies have been charged in the murder of Sgt. Reyka. However, they are looking very closely at them and their associates and know it's a matter of time before someone or more evidence comes forward to help close the gap. "We haven't ruled anyone out at this point," said Sheriff Lamberti. |
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In Memory Of Sgt. Reyka |
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The longer the investigation goes, the harder it is. Sheriff Lamberti said all of his deputies are wearing black and gold pins bearing Sgt. Reyka's badge number of 9463. He said, "We are wearing them right below our badge, right over our heart just to make sure we remember every day that the case is unsolved and we are continuing to work it." BSO deputies are also wearing black wrist bands bearing Sgt. Reyka's name and badge number in memory of a beloved cop.
Investigators remain optimistic that the case will be solved in a matter of time. However, there is little to go on. Detectives believe three suspects are involved including a triggerman, a getaway driver and a passenger. The trio were in a older, white, full-sized American car, possibly a Grand Marquis or a Crown Victoria.
Sheriff Lamberti said, "It's very, very limited information. There are cases here you have even less and you develop information from good police work. That's what it's gonna take here and that's why we are not giving up on the investigation and the public to help us."
A recap: Police are looking for a suspect or suspects driving a white full sized American car, possibly a Crown Victoria, but not ruling out other makes and models. The car has tinted windows and a stolen Florida tag of F16-8UJ. The car was last seen in the early morning hours of Pompano Beach on Friday, August 10th.
The Sgt. Chris Reyka Education Fund has been established to help support the family. Checks can be sent to:
The Sheriff's Foundation of Broward County2601 West Broward Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 |
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