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Manhunt, Fatal Shooting 'Tested Us,' Pastor Says

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By GEORGE WILKENS

gwilkens@tampatrib.com

Published: December 17, 2008

PLANT CITY - On Dec. 5, Plant City was shut down by a massive manhunt for a heavily armed suspected killer.

Three nights later, the collective experience and pain was recognized at the start of the Plant City Commission meeting.

The meeting began with a prayer and comments by Mayor Rick Lott about the "terror that struck our city. This type of terror is not supposed to happen to our community; not Plant City. But it did."

Fransisco Rangel, wanted in the Dec. 4 shooting death of 36-year-old Michael James Longoria, was spotted the next morning by Hillsborough County sheriff's detectives driving through downtown Plant City.

When they tried to stop him, he opened fire with a high-powered assault rifle, authorities said.

No officers were hit, but Candelario Lagunes, 58, a passenger in a passing car, was shot in the head and died.

A shootout ensued, followed by hours of house-to-house searches for Rangel, forcing lockdowns at a dozen schools and cancellation of the 25th annual Plant City Christmas Parade that was to have started at 6 p.m.

Before the commission Monday night, the Rev. Carlos J. Rojas, assistant to the pastor at St. Clement Catholic Church, spoke of the difficulties the community suffered at the hands of a gunman. "He tested us with spirits that are not of the season."

Lagunes' son, Henry, attended the meeting. Asked to address the commission, he spoke of how he and his father had planned to launch a small business, a mobile kitchen.

Assistant City Manager Greg Horwedel will help the family proceed with that venture.

"He's going to help you with that red tape so you can get that permit," Lott told Lagunes.

"Plant City is a good place to live," replied Lagunes, who said many in the community visited the family's home to express sympathy. Visitors include Lott and Police Chief Bill McDaniel.

Lagunes and his father, 58, were in their car on the morning of Dec. 5, en route to the ATM at Publix, when the shooting began. Henry Lagunes told his father shots were being fired and, moments later, the car's back window popped and a bullet hit his father, he recalled in an interview.

Lagunes turned his car around and started to drive toward Rangel, but authorities waved at him to stop, and he realized that crashing into Rangel might do his father additional harm. Candelario Lagunes was rushed to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where he died.

At Monday's meeting, the mayor thanked authorities. "On behalf of the city commission I want to thank our police department and the Hillsborough County sheriff, plus many other law enforcement agencies that joined together to capture this fugitive. Your knowledge, skill and dedication to provide public safety during the manhunt was most impressive," Lott said.

In addition to local police and sheriff's officers, agencies in the manhunt included the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tampa Police Department, CSX railroad police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Reporter George Wilkens can be reached at (813) 865-4433.

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