Man Shot While Eating Dinner

TAMPA, FL -- To Samuel Hernandez, having friends was a way of life.

There wasn't much the 44-year-old wouldn't do for those close to him. In fact, he left his native Cuba and moved to Florida looking for a better life for his wife and two children. Samuel spent his days working at a Tampa shipyard.

By night, he made the majority of his money selling perfume and cologne out of his 22nd Street apartment, next door to a well-known club, la Victoria. Those who knew him say he loved being able to support his family back home by sending them part of his paychecks.

Samuel always carried around large wads of cash and wasn't afraid to show it.

The problem was, detectives say, the gregarious and friendly father flashed his cash a little too much. But, the seemingly peaceful man didn't have a problem protecting himself. At six feet tall, 250 pounds, he was well-respected. His nickname among those who knew him -- Cuba. They pronounced it, "Kooba". He would greet his friends with an open door and a big smile, selling his wares on a large pool table in his apartment. People knew him and they stopped by all the time.

"He had a lot of friends and was well known in the neighborhood," says Detective Randy Camp from the Tampa Police Homocide unit.

Samuel was a man you wouldn't mess with or cross.

That is, until September 2, 2008. Samuel was said to be in his apartment just before midnight, sitting down on his bed to eat a late-night meal. A friend of his would stop by late that night before heading to la Victoria next door.

He later found Samuel bleeding on the floor, full of bulletholes. He was shot at close range.

"We believe he was a target for robbery," Detective Camp told us, after investigating this case for nearly a year. "I've had many twists and turns in this case. We know that someone out there knows something. We have a lot of evidence in this case."

One piece of evidence was a unique and distinct ballcap that the killer left at the scene. The cap is well-worn, almost a faded beige or peach color with the number "63" sewn to the side. The cap had Samuel's blood. There were also droplets of Samuel's blood outside of his apartment, indicating a possible struggle before the murder.

Maybe there was a fight beforehand.

Maybe Samuel had been targeted all along.

Detectives say, the night before his murder, Samuel was at home with friends when several men came rushing through the front door, poised for a robbery scenario. But, at the time, there were children inside the apartment. A witness told detectives that one of the men saw the children and was heard saying, "Not tonight," indicative of postponing the robbery.

A 911 call was placed the night of Samuel's murder by a friend who stopped by. He is heard telling the operator, "He's dead. There's blood everywhere. I think he's been robbed."

Detectives were suspicious of the friend at first, as the man denied ever being at Samuel's home that night, even though his friends say he was. At this point in the investigation, they believe if the friend was truly involved, he never would have called for help in the first place.

Quite possibly, one of the hardest things family members had to face was telling Samuel's wife what happened in Tampa.

His sister, Olga, flew to Cuba to break the bad news. She was grief-stricken Wednesday morning in front of the Tampa Police Department as she sat on a bench and buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I talked with him that day," she told us. "That afternoon at around five. I didn't know it would be the last time. I can't believe it."

Detectives are not giving up on this case. Randy Camp truly believes that this mystery has the potential to be solved, especially with evidence like the ballcap found at the scene. The killer is out there, he says, and will be found. Now, Tampa Police just need someone to offer information anonymously through the Crime Stoppers program. As always, there is a reward of up to $1,000.

As for Olga, she says she will not rest or have peace until her big brother's killer is caught. "Please, I know the person is out there. Please, come forward."

If you have any information on this case, please call Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay at 1-800-873-TIPS.