The Osceola County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday it had made two arrests in connection with a shooting on July 19 outside the Arlington Inn on West U.S. Highway 192. Sheriff Marcos Lopez said that day those involved were on the run.
The Violent Crimes unit was able to identify and arrest Theodis "TJ" James and Charles Patrick "Savage" Chukes III for their involvement in the case. A department release said that James ran from deputies and hid in a storage shed when deputies tried to apprehend him.
An incident report said that the victim, who remains in intensive care in serious but stable condition due to his injuries from the shooting, was shot in front of one of the hotel rooms. The report said shots came from one of the rooms and from the parking lot, and may have been shot over a disagreement over having his room switched at the hotel. A black rifle was recovered along Old Vineland Road, where a car leaving the scene, in which footage showed Chukes getting in the driver's seat, was tracked to by camera footage. A related report said James was apprehended on Aug. 10 at Sam's Pub, adjacent to the Arlington Hotel, hiding in the storage area.
James, 38, was arrested and booked in the Osceola County Department of Corrections, where he's held on no bond, on the following charges:
Attempted Murder
Aggravated Battery with a deadly weapon
Possession of a Firearm by a convicted felon
Use or display a firearm during a felony
Improper display of a firearm
Discharge of a firearm in public
Resisting Without Violence and Burglary to a Structure
Chukes, 34, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact for attempt murder
