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Man Critically Wounded In Home Invasion Robbery

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 30, 2008

Updated: 08/30/2008 08:19 pm

  Benjamin Bryant

  Ronald Godwin

TAMPA - When Christopher Clabeaux opened the door of his Citrus Park apartment early this morning, he didn't know the choice would leave him critically wounded and in the hospital.

At about 1 a.m., Clabeaux's friend, a 20-year-old woman, was in her car in the Camden Bay at Citrus Park apartments near Sheldon Road at Woodlake Boulevard, when Benjamin Bryant, 21, and Ronald Godwin, 19, approached her, authorities said. At gunpoint, the suspects pulled her from her car and forced her to ring the doorbell of her friend's apartment, 8102 Sheldon Road, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies said.

Deputies said Clabeaux, 18, who was inside with another man and woman, opened the door expecting to find the woman. When the door opened, Bryant and Godwin ran inside the apartment, hitting one of the men on the mouth with a hammer and shooting Clabeaux in the neck with a pistol, deputies said

After grabbing a woman's purse and a safe, the suspects ran away leaving a track that Deuce, a 3-year-old German shepherd, and his handler, sheriff's Deputy Charles Perdomo, followed through the apartment complex to the rear perimeter fence.

On the other side of the fence, another deputy saw Godwin, of 9308 Attenbury Drive, walking down the street and arrested him near Woodlake Boulevard and Small Brook Place. Deputies arrested Bryant at his mother's house, 9109 Sandcroft Place. The stolen safe and purse, and a handgun were recovered at Bryant's house, authorities said

Bryant and Godwin were charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, home invasion/robbery and kidnapping, deputies said.

They were being held without bail today at Orient Road Jail.

Clabeaux, who told deputies he didn't know the suspects or why they shot him, was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital were he remained today in critical condition.

The investigation continues.

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