Father told of teen daughter's hit and run accident, police say

TAMPA — Robert Valdez Jr. told police his teenaged daughter was involved in a hit and run accident near Davis Islands the morning after a homeless woman was killed trying to cross a South Tampa street, according to police records.

In a sworn statement supporting a search warrant for the Valdez family's computers, Tampa police Detective Nicholas Sclavakis said police received two calls from the Valdez family on Feb. 9, the morning after 33-year-old Melissa Sjostorm was hit and killed while trying to cross a South Tampa street.

The first call was from Kimberly Valdez, Jordan’s mother, who reported the Nissan Murano missing and was told that it had been impounded.

Soon after, Sclavakis wrote, Robert Valdez Jr. called “and stated that his daughter, Jordan Valdez, had been involved in a hit and run” near the Davis Islands bridge, “and he needed to contact the detective investigating the hit and run.”

But by the time a detective reached Robert Valdez later that day, the family had hired a lawyer who had advised him not to say anything.

This afternoon, the attorney for 17-year-old Jordan Valdez said he was not aware that police say Robert Valdez had ever said his daughter was in a hit and run.

““I haven’t heard that,” attorney Ty Trayner said.

Eddie Suarez, an attorney who represents Robert Valdez Jr., declined comment.

In April, police Detective Robert Powell closed the case administratively, meaning that it could be re-opened if investigators had fresh leads. They re-opened last week after coverage of the case by tampabay.com and police officials have acknowledged that it was closed prematurely and without a full investigation.

-- Richard Danielson and Michael Van Sickler, Times staff writers

Comments

[windowsugar]

Robert, This exonerates you of everything everyone was saying. Good for you. We have the right to remain silent. Doesn't matter what you've managed to acquire, after all the years of salt life surely we of all people don't need an attorney to tell us to remain silent. Anyway .. good for you. Now, let your daughter make this right. She's adorable. I'm sure it was an accident but it doesn't excuse not stopping to check. Just let her fix it. Honestly and surely or other things will go wrong for her. That's life. Take care.
And get her to talk about it. NO ONE walks away from something like this without some ... awfulness attaching.
I'm sorry for Missy's family, too. It doesn't matter what she did or who she was ... your family still loves you. Always hoping for better and sometimes it hurts EVEN MORE if something permanent happens before the better comes back to a wrecked life.
No one knows that better than I.
Everyone be well.
And south tampa scumbags, Please don't send another of your children running out in front of MY car. What is WRONG with you people???
Are you sick in every way??

[Proudmother]

windowsugar, what gives you the right to insult people that live in south tampa as scumbags? Your not any better then anyone else! When you become PERFECT then maybe you can talk crap until then just make your coment and leave others that our not involved in the article out!

[Bobcat]

window sugar you are the most horrible fing creature on the face of the earth you sit in judgment of everyone or everyting that the internet news allows so please do us all a favor next tiem you drive over a bridge pleasestop and jump, off it into the shark infested waters of tampa bay and please become shark chit

[whyman]

Sounds like the lawyer rushed in and took the case without doing his homework.

[ciararaine]

Sometimes windowsugar's med cart runs late.

[DR]

This incident wouldn't be a problem if Porter admitted to her mistake from the get go. Her biggest mistake was telling her parents since they're the ones who have been hiding her from telling the truth. Porter would probably get off by separtaing herself from her horrible parents by telling the truth and having her parents be charged with obstruction of justice. I think it was an accident, but her parents wanted her to hide. Anybody who supports their hair business should stop now. These supposed "religious" people don't believe in telling the truth which I thought was an important thing to do in the religious world. I'm not sure. I don't believe in that crap.

[Sandra]

Guys please don't feed the troll (windowsugar) she/he/both is a race baiting, racist class warfare militant hater. It's the same thing time after time with that idiot. I can guarantee you that in reality, windowsugar has a horrible life, no job and lives off of monthly checks from the gubbamint. As a matter of fact, it does seem odd that the only posts coming from that subhuman creature happen to coincide with the hours of the local public library.

[windowsugar]

oh no, the south tampa scumbags know EXACTLY WHO I MEAN. They know their blond haired son leapt in front of my car where san miguel intersects before it reaches macdill. The mom is a hairdresser, kid hangs out at the Y. What kind of person has their PRECIOUS CHILD JUMP IN FRONT OF A CAR??? I have three witnesses so S T H U. I have plenty of friends everywhere. You can call all the names you want it just shows WHAT you ARE.
So the bit dogs holler loudest and the OTHER south tampa scumbags weigh in. No doubt the firemen and wives.
You just hate it because THIS FATHER actually did THE RIGHT THING> you hate it.
And because he did the right thing he's more decent than ANY of you.

[windowsugar]

OH snf you may have missed that I was defending a south tampa person ... L O L.
Reading is fundamental and really not that hard.
Sticks and stones, fanclub.

[windowsugar]

hey sandra, not that it would make ANY difference but hey is the library open NOW??? Or am I a doctoral candidate late cramming at USF?? Are you stalking me online, sandra?? R U D E.
Do I insult you?? NO. so that must put you in the first category as a BIT DOG. L O L.

[ladytereez]

Sounds like "windowsugar" needs to visit TGH on Davis Island and spend some time in the psych ward. What is wrong with you? A woman was MURDERED and you are cheering on the perps family. What about the victim's family? Karma baby, that's what you've got coming and when it happens I hope that you as the victim have your way and the perp takes their vow of silence. Haven't you ever heard of the term "lies of omission"? You make me sick!

[evie]

My parents taught me to take responsibility for my actions.If Jordan can hold a license to drive she should take responsibility for her actions. How would Jordan feel if someone run down her mother and left without calling 911. When Jordan told her parents about the accident they should have call the police right away. This would have been the time for Jordan to take responsibility,it was a accident. I have children of my own.I would have called the police, because it would have been the right thing to do. Oh and what are we teaching out children that its okay to do wrong and not take responsbility for their actions. Please take responsbility for anything that you do to others.

[david]

It is astounding how many people want to give this girl a pass. Apparently lacking a functioning brain stem does not preclude you from posting a comment.
A tragic accident was compounded by a terrible crime. Stop and she walks. But she didn't stop and she must answer for that.

[cesspool]

The cop who got the sudden case of 'blue flu' to avoid testifying at court should have his cell phone records & computers examined for any other shady dealings he's been in on because, quite frankly, something stinks here in his actions/inaction, and stinks really bad. I get the impression not appearing was business as usual for this probable perp.

[cesspool]

Of course, when the Detective with 'blue flu' is found guilty of many many transgressions, he'll just be allowed to resign with full pension they way they all do, and he'll be working in another jurisdiction by Labor Day. Unions have had a lock on Detroit & they've had a lock on gov't employees for 40 years -- testaments to why both have been run into the ground without any accountability. Where DID all the auto bailout money go that was supposed to rescue Detroit? Somebody knows. It sure didn't go to save Detroit.

[disappointed]

I can't seem to reconcile which is the most troubling aspect of this story:

a) That the St. Pete Times reporter who initially "broke" the story has nothing better to do than hang out with the homeless all day and stir up social controversy at the expense of the taxpayers, opening up a police investigation with 5 full time staffers and possibly utitlizing the resources of NASA and the FBI- as if they have nothing better to do.

b) That the victim in question was homeless and living in an area where the rent averages $1800/month...for FREE....while eating FREE FOOD at HYDE PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH...while collecting her $600 social security check (and probably didn't pay in 600 in her entire lifetime), shooting up drugs, spreading HIV and loitering in the library soaking up the FREE INTERNET provided by taxpayer dollars to watch YOUTUBE while intermittently receiving medical treatment for FREE at TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL, probably while you (insured patient) waited in the ER for 6 hours with your kid who had a broken arm.

c) That the victim's family is so DISTRAUGHT, yet allowed their beloved mother/neice/daughter to live under such circumstances and plan to sue for "loss of companionship." That's the kind of friend and mother we all aspire to be, right?!

[rimideka]

diappointed
So basically this woman deserved to die, is that your point? Maybe spoiled rich girl will hit you next, karma baby!!

[Paul]

It seems that we are missing the point.

What would YOU have done if this was your daughter?

[Disturbed Tax Payer]

rimideka:

I'm failing to see where 'disappointed' ever stated she deserved to die. I think he/she was pointing out the fact that this has turned into resume piece for the Times and TPD at the expense of the taxpayers. Further more, 'disappointed' did not threaten anyone...I'm not quite sure why you chose to threaten them. Finally, if you truly believe in 'Karma', perhaps it was this lady's Karma that led to her demise. Perhaps her years of FREE-LOADING on society caught up to her...Karma works both the past and present.

I just think it is funny that when there is a buck to be made people will print it and people will suddenly feel compassion for a lost family member.

Stop trying to attack the wealthy for the way they protect their families. If we could afford the high priced lawyer we would all defend out daughters as well. If you are that jealous go get an education and a real job and become wealthy yourself. This country was founded on Capitalism once upon a time, not the socialist cesspool it has become.

Karma=Nope, Fate=Maybe, Fact of Life=Absolutly.

Best of luck to Jordan, I'm sure the emotionall stress has ruined her highschool experience.

I for one feel sorry for this poor girl. She didn't ask for the coked up, HIV carrying, weino to cross the street illegally. I don't fault her for being scared after the fact.

Get a Life, Get a Job, and Save the Taxpayers some money. I'm tired of supporting the rest of the country's drug habit.

[Tampamom]

to "disappointed" and also to ""disturbed' wow! i thought the newspapers were supposed to report the facts, no? And sometimes the "facts" need some "investigative journalism" ever heard that term? So don't attack the reporter. The fact is, this girl was involved in a hit and run, which simply means she broke the law.
and as far as accusing the people who feel justice should be served as "hating the wealthy"- that's ridiculous. I live on Davis Islands- probably in an even bigger house. My son has met this girl. I don't know this family. I feel bad for them. But this is not good parenting. I had a discussion with my son about this yesterday, I told him if this had happened to him, if he had committed this crime or any other, I would not be helping to cover it up. He stated that he understood that and that he agreed that these parents are doing the wrong thing. I can't understand all the venom. Is it simply because the victim was homeless?
Yes it was an accident. But you don't drive away with someone dying in the street, that's why IT"S A LAW!

[MarkMarsh]

Wow, Jordan's mom has been busy. Posting as both "disappointed" and "disturbed tax payer" must be her way of making it look like more people share her views. Too bad she is not smart ENOUGH to change her writing style. The really sad part of this accident is that Jordan will still be a spoiled little brat who has no idea what the word accountability means. Way to go mom and dad.

[disappointed]

Mark,

I AM disappointed. The "disturbed tax payer" is my husband. You want to talk ACCOUNTABILITY? Like when the victim abandoned her infant son to live in a drug-induced stupor using her social security check in the streets of Tampa?

Tampa Mom,

Congratulations on your purchase of real estate on Davis Islands. I am happy to report that we live on HARBOUR Island in a home that is undoubtedly three times the size of yours, and are in no danger of running over any homeless as they are kept off the island by stringent security measures and large iron gates.

I will save myself the trouble of patting you on the back for raising such a virtuous son since you have already done that yourself.

Irregardless, this is a case that was INACTIVE until a nosy liberal times reporter scrambling to keep their job (because we know newspapers are rapidly becoming obsolete) stuck their nose where it didn't belong. I'd LOVE to see the bill for all this "investigation." OH WAIT, I do! It's disgused as a PROPERTY TAX bill!

[MarkMarsh]

Disappointed, are you really justifying Jordan's unlawful behavior by making guesses about the victim's parenting skills? Really? Your lack of compassion is reprehensible and your disdain for human life is chilling. I understand that you think you and yours are special cases but the law applies to everybody. Perhaps this will be illustrated for you soon.

Go Tampa PD. Catch the crook in this case.