Officers voiced concern for Elecia Nicole Bing after she was last seen with shooting suspect, Demetrius Tyrone Bell. (Images: Bradenton Police Department)
Update – June 8: Shooting suspect, Demetrius Tyrone Bell, 50, released Elecia Nicole Bing, 38, Wednesday night in Tampa, Florida, but he remains on the loose, police said.
“She was released by Bell last night,” Bradenton police PIO Meredith Frameli told Law&Crime in an email.
Officers said they returned Bing to Bradenton early Thursday morning to be with her family.
Cops now say that she did not leave with Bell willingly after Bell shot and injured one of their co-workers at the Tropicana plant in the city of Bradenton.
The injured victim remains in the hospital, cops said.
The search for the suspect remains ongoing.
“Detectives continue to look for Bell, who is considered armed and dangerous,” police said. They announced new charges. “Two additional warrants have been filed for Bell, armed kidnapping, and aggravated assault with a firearm.”
Our original article is below.
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Police voiced concern for a missing woman because she was last seen with a co-worker who had just shot another colleague. The suspect, Demetrius Tyrone Bell, 50, has a lengthy felony history dating to 1992 in Florida. With that in mind, officers voiced worry for Elecia Nicole Bing, 38.
“We are concerned for her safety,” said cops in Bradenton.
Police claim that Bell entered the local Tropicana plant on Monday at 10:24 p.m. and shot a male co-worker once.
“No other employees were injured, and it is believed the two men were involved in a dispute,” cops wrote. “The victim remains hospitalized.”
Police believe Bing left with Bell, who was last seen driving a 2015 black Camaro. The Florida license plate is QUQF97.
Officers describe Bing as standing 5 foot 10 and weighing 110 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a yellow safety shirt and blue jeans.
Bradenton police spokesperson Meredith Frameli told Law&Crime Wednesday that the search is ongoing. She cited Bell’s criminal history as a reason officers are concerned for Bing and said it is unclear if the missing woman, who had been working at the time, left with Bell willingly or unwillingly.
The suspect’s records in the Florida Department of Corrections show felony convictions dating to 1992 in Manatee and Hillsborough counties. Charges include robbery with a gun or deadly weapon, resisting an officer with violence, kidnapping, and aggravated with a weapon and no intent to kill. Prison records show he was last in Florida DOC custody from Nov. 27, 2018, to June 14, 2019.
Officers did not suggest a motive for the shooting. Frameli told Law&Crime that, at the very least, all three of the people involved were familiar with each other as co-workers. Bell and the victim had been on the same shift before but not on the day of the shooting, she said. The suspect was not on the schedule when he returned to the plant and confronted the victim, she said.
He faces warrants for aggravated battery with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
From cops:
Anyone with information on Bing or Bell’s whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Jeff Beckley at 941-932-9356 or [email protected]. You can also contact the Bradenton Police Department at 941-932-9300.
To remain anonymous and eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000, call Crime Stoppers (toll-free) at 1-866-634-8477 (TIPS) or send an anonymous E-Tip through manateecrimestoppers.com.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
