Earlier this week–on Oct. 8–Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida board members approved their first and largest payout in their history, a $5,000 reward, to the tipster whose information helped lead Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives to the suspect accused of murdering Zuheily Rosado in Palm Coast on Feb. 21.
Rosado, the mother of six, was gunned down as she worked the evening shift at the Mobil convenience store on State Road 100 near I-95. A surveillance camera shows an individual briskly walking into the store, pivoting to his right and pointing a gun then firing several times. Earlier that evening, Joseph Bova, accused in the murder, was seen in surveillance footage entering the store and using the ATM machine.
The gun used in the murder, the sheriff’s office said, was registered to Bova. And Bova, according to the sheriff’s detectives, said the gun had never changed ownership. But it took a tipster to connect some of the dots that led investigators to Bova, aftter their trail had cooled considerably.
The reward for tips in the case had been set at $1,000. Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida board members voted at the end of 2012 to increase their reward in all homicide cases to $5,000.
A call came in. Crime Stoppers and the sheriff’s office are not releasing the identity of the tipster, in compliance with Crime Stoppers policy.
“The information provided by the tipster in this case proved to be invaluable,” Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre said in a Crime Stoppers release. “Had it not been for Crime Stoppers and the generosity of its supporters, this case might have stalled as many of these types of killings often do and eventually gone cold. We are extremely fortunate to have Crime Stoppers in our community and of the partnership that we have with them.”
Bova is facing a first-degree murder charge. He is being held at the Flagler County jail without bond.
Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida is a not-for-profit organization made up of civilian volunteers and is supported by contributions from private citizens, civic groups and local businesses as well as the Crime Stoppers Trust Fund administered by the Attorney
General of Florida. The Trust is funded through a $20 court cost assessed for all criminal offenses in Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns Counties. In the past year, Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida has received over 2,725 anonymous tips that led to the arrest of 254 individuals, the recovery of over $1 million in property and the removal of over $310,000 worth of drugs off the streets.
The Crime Stoppers Hotline, 888-277-TIPS (8477) is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by operators at its main call center in Canada, which specializes in taking anonymous crime tips and then routes the information to law enforcement agencies across the United
States.
Geezer says
Just $5,000???
That 5k saved possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars, and countless man-hours.
Upon Bova’s conviction, the tipster deserves a lot more.
How do you shoot a defenseless lady, and walk away like you stole some Twinkies?
Welcome to the digital and Godless age.
Morals and conscience be damned!
Knowsalittle says
Maybe the tipster could donate the money to the children of the woman who was murdered.
LARRY'S GUNS & AMMO says
Thanks Crime Stoppers! And thanks to the soul brave enough to come forward and help. Only good people speaking up can change things. Every live is precious.
Ogrethetop says
Jim Manfre said in a Crime Stoppers release. “Had it not been for Crime Stoppers and the generosity of its supporters, this case might have stalled as many of these types of killings often do and eventually gone cold.
So he’s saying his department can’t do there job. Maybe he shouldn’t have fired all his experienced officers
thankful niece says
im so thankful for whoever helped, now my family can rest in.peace knowing we found that bastard. my aunt has justice r.I.p titi <3
Howard Duley says
How does an individual with any quality whatsoever wait until the reward is acceptable to them to turn in a suspected murderer? It appears to me that this individual is no better in morality than the killer.
dontjudge says
It was a tip from a phsycic. I know her. She had nothing to do with the murder. She had a vision or something. She did not care about a reward so maybe don’t be so quick to judge. The situation was hard on this girl who asked for none of it and was brave enough to say what she felt.