Topline: Authorities believe the men used the AirTag to follow the victims home, where they launched a violent armed kidnapping.
Published: October 17, 2025 8:00 am ET
Must Read
ODESSA, FL — Two men accused of ambushing a couple at gunpoint in their own driveway are now behind bars, following a string of arrests that closed the chapter on what authorities are calling a calculated and deeply disturbing home invasion in Odessa, Florida.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded on the night of August 19, 2025, when Luis Charles, 26, and Odardy Maldonado-Rodriguez, 32, allegedly used an Apple AirTag to track the unsuspecting couple to their home. Deputies said the device had been discreetly taped to the underside of the victims’ SUV, allowing the suspects to follow them from an unknown location.
As reported by WWSB, once the couple returned to their home in Odessa, they were ambushed in their driveway. Surveillance footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows one suspect, dressed in a neon safety vest and bright green shirt, pulling a firearm from his pocket and grabbing the female passenger. The second man, clad in dark clothing, a hoodie, and a mask, seized the male driver. The pair forced the victims into their garage at gunpoint.
During the confrontation, the female victim struggled with one of the suspects, prompting him to physically carry her into the garage, according to the New York Post. Moments later, an interior alarm was triggered inside the home, prompting both suspects to flee the scene before authorities arrived.
Detectives later uncovered the AirTag still taped beneath the couple’s vehicle—evidence that investigators say was crucial in identifying and locating the suspects. “Through investigative means,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post, “both suspects have been identified and arrested.”
Charles was apprehended in Tampa on October 8 during a traffic stop, with police body camera footage capturing the moment he was handcuffed outside his vehicle. Maldonado-Rodriguez was arrested two days later in neighboring Pasco County.
The charges against both men are extensive. According to the sheriff’s office and corroborated by WWSB, they include armed burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery, two counts of armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, false imprisonment, and the illegal use of a tracking device.
“To be ambushed at gunpoint in the very place you should feel safest is every family’s worst nightmare,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Thanks to the work of our detectives, these dangerous criminals are now behind bars where they belong, and the victims, along with our community, can rest a little easier.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Florida Couple Stalked With Apple AirTag, Forced Into Garage at Gunpoint
Authorities believe the men used the AirTag to follow the victims home, where they launched a violent armed kidnapping.
By Jacob Charles
Published: October 17, 2025 8:00 am ET
ODESSA, FL — Two men accused of ambushing a couple at gunpoint in their own driveway are now behind bars, following a string of arrests that closed the chapter on what authorities are calling a calculated and deeply disturbing home invasion in Odessa, Florida.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded on the night of August 19, 2025, when Luis Charles, 26, and Odardy Maldonado-Rodriguez, 32, allegedly used an Apple AirTag to track the unsuspecting couple to their home. Deputies said the device had been discreetly taped to the underside of the victims’ SUV, allowing the suspects to follow them from an unknown location.
As reported by WWSB, once the couple returned to their home in Odessa, they were ambushed in their driveway. Surveillance footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows one suspect, dressed in a neon safety vest and bright green shirt, pulling a firearm from his pocket and grabbing the female passenger. The second man, clad in dark clothing, a hoodie, and a mask, seized the male driver. The pair forced the victims into their garage at gunpoint.
During the confrontation, the female victim struggled with one of the suspects, prompting him to physically carry her into the garage, according to the New York Post. Moments later, an interior alarm was triggered inside the home, prompting both suspects to flee the scene before authorities arrived.
Detectives later uncovered the AirTag still taped beneath the couple’s vehicle—evidence that investigators say was crucial in identifying and locating the suspects. “Through investigative means,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post, “both suspects have been identified and arrested.”
Charles was apprehended in Tampa on October 8 during a traffic stop, with police body camera footage capturing the moment he was handcuffed outside his vehicle. Maldonado-Rodriguez was arrested two days later in neighboring Pasco County.
The charges against both men are extensive. According to the sheriff’s office and corroborated by WWSB, they include armed burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery, two counts of armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, false imprisonment, and the illegal use of a tracking device.
“To be ambushed at gunpoint in the very place you should feel safest is every family’s worst nightmare,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Thanks to the work of our detectives, these dangerous criminals are now behind bars where they belong, and the victims, along with our community, can rest a little easier.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Florida Couple Stalked With Apple AirTag, Forced Into Garage at Gunpoint
Authorities believe the men used the AirTag to follow the victims home, where they launched a violent armed kidnapping.
By Jacob Charles
Published: October 17, 2025 8:00 am ET
ODESSA, FL — Two men accused of ambushing a couple at gunpoint in their own driveway are now behind bars, following a string of arrests that closed the chapter on what authorities are calling a calculated and deeply disturbing home invasion in Odessa, Florida.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded on the night of August 19, 2025, when Luis Charles, 26, and Odardy Maldonado-Rodriguez, 32, allegedly used an Apple AirTag to track the unsuspecting couple to their home. Deputies said the device had been discreetly taped to the underside of the victims’ SUV, allowing the suspects to follow them from an unknown location.
As reported by WWSB, once the couple returned to their home in Odessa, they were ambushed in their driveway. Surveillance footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows one suspect, dressed in a neon safety vest and bright green shirt, pulling a firearm from his pocket and grabbing the female passenger. The second man, clad in dark clothing, a hoodie, and a mask, seized the male driver. The pair forced the victims into their garage at gunpoint.
During the confrontation, the female victim struggled with one of the suspects, prompting him to physically carry her into the garage, according to the New York Post. Moments later, an interior alarm was triggered inside the home, prompting both suspects to flee the scene before authorities arrived.
Detectives later uncovered the AirTag still taped beneath the couple’s vehicle—evidence that investigators say was crucial in identifying and locating the suspects. “Through investigative means,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post, “both suspects have been identified and arrested.”
Charles was apprehended in Tampa on October 8 during a traffic stop, with police body camera footage capturing the moment he was handcuffed outside his vehicle. Maldonado-Rodriguez was arrested two days later in neighboring Pasco County.
The charges against both men are extensive. According to the sheriff’s office and corroborated by WWSB, they include armed burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery, two counts of armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, false imprisonment, and the illegal use of a tracking device.
“To be ambushed at gunpoint in the very place you should feel safest is every family’s worst nightmare,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Thanks to the work of our detectives, these dangerous criminals are now behind bars where they belong, and the victims, along with our community, can rest a little easier.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
