Home Invasion, Kidnapping Victim Just Grateful To Be Alive

OLDSMAR, FL – He has staples in his head to close multiple lacerations from the pistol whippings he received and cuts on his arms from jumping out of a moving car.

But 27-year-old professional rapper Dwayne “RicoBoss” Times said he’s alive, and that’s all that matters.

After undergoing treatment at the hospital, Times is back home in the 100 block of Shoreview Lane in Oldsmar recuperating following a harrowing home invasion by three armed masked men (see related story).

The musician was home alone at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1. It had already been a painful day for him. He had just learned his grandmother had become gravely ill. His mother was taking her to the hospital when she died in the car.

In his grief over his grandmother, the last thing Times expected was to see three men in masks burst through the garage door leading into his home.

“I tried to run to the back door but, when I reached it, they caught me as I was fumbling with the lock,” he said.

They wanted money, and Times said he was more than willing to give them the $600 cash he had on him.

“It wasn’t enough,” said Times, who believes an acquaintance of his conspired with the robbers, convincing them that he kept a large amount of cash at his home.

Frustrated with the small amount of cash, the robbers began taking turns pistol whipping him on the head.

“They were mad. They wanted to kill me, so I had to think fast,” said Times. “I told them I had $50,000 at a homey’s house nearby and I would take them to it. I was thinking that it would give me a chance to get away. They fell for it.”

One of the robbers got into the driver’s seat of a friend’s 2014 Volkswagen that Times was borrowing. Another got into the back seat with Times and held a gun at Times’ face. The third robber followed in the getaway car that the robbers arrived in.

As they were driving down Kilsyhte Street, the robbers in the car with Times began to argue. Times said he took advantage of the distraction. He hit the robber who had temporarily moved the gun away from Times’ face. Times then opened the car door and rolled out onto the road.

“And I just took off running as fast as I could,” he said.

He expected the robbers to either shoot at him or chase him. They did neither.

Times began knocking on the doors of nearby homes until someone answered a door and called 911 for him.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies found the Volkswagen abandoned near the intersection of Kilsythe Street and Shore Drive East with the engine still running.

Deputies also located a handgun on the ground near the car. They called in K9 units and located 17-year-old Chrishaud Montgomery of Tampa hiding in a mucky area in the 400 block of Country Club Drive. Shortly afterward, K9 deputies caught 21-year-old Quadre Brown, no address, trying to break into a home in the same block of Country Club Drive. They’ve been charged with home invasion robbery and kidnapping.

The third robber driving the getaway car is still at large.

Times was transported to the hospital for treatment.

He said he’s just grateful to have survived.

“God helped me through this for a reason,” he said.

Image via Dwayne “Rico” Times

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