Father left paralyzed after asking teen party-crashers to leave, deputies say

OAK HILL, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a teenager wanted in the shooting of an Oak Hill man who was left paralyzed.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the reward is up for grabs in exchange for information about the location of James "Buddha" Powell, 15, a suspect in the shooting that left the victim critically injured.  A second teen who was also being sought, Sylvano Leslie II, 17, turned himself in late Monday night, at the Daytona Beach Police Department.

"A car load of these thugs shows up and are told they're not allowed to enter.  They shove the father, says he's going to kill them, pulls a gun and shoots him in the neck," Sheriff Chitwood explained.

According to the sheriff, Joel Tatro, 45, allowed his high school sons to have friends over.

"Here's an incident where parents are doing the right thing. They're having a party for about 10 of their kids high school friends. They're monitoring it. It's invitation only.  They were sitting out there at the fire pit, listening to music, doing what 15-year-old kids do, and it almost cost this man his life," said Chitwood.

The sheriff said Tatro stepped in after his sons asked the party-crashers to leave. Neighbors said they heard three gunshots.

"It went in the left side of his neck, through his spinal column in the vertebrae and out his right shoulder," said Trina Tatro, the victim's mother.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Powell is asked to call the Volusia County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida 1-800-277-TIPS (8477).