TAMPA - Still reeling from the brutal slaying of his teenage son in December, Ron Tomlinson took another hit this week when he learned a church Web site was seeking donations to defend the man accused of killing him.
"It angers me that they would do something like that," an incredulous Tomlinson said Friday afternoon. "I just couldn't believe that."
Tomlinson's 13-year-old son, Stephen, a skateboarder who was acquainted with most of his neighbors in the Logan Gate Village subdivision, including Joshua Rosa, the suspect, was found dead in woods near a community park Dec. 8. Hillsborough County sheriff's investigators said he had been strangled.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Rosa a month later, saying genetic tests linked him to the body. Rosa said he happened upon the body and tried to revive the teenager. He maintains his innocence.
Rosa, who turned 20 in jail last month, lived across Mondragon Drive from the Tomlinson family. He occasionally took Stephen to his church, Zion Pentecostal Church for All People. Rosa was a youth minister there who introduced Stephen Tomlinson to some of the church members.
A posting on the church Web site expresses Zion's unqualified support for Rosa. "Our church wants to get involved and be a helping hand in what is one of the biggest tests that our congregation has been through ever. We want to make a stand for Christ and for the families of our church, in this case, the Rosa Family and their son, Joshua Rosa.
"Now, Joshua finds himself wrongfully accused for a crime he did not commit," the Web site states. "He tried to be a good Samaritan and help a person in need, as he has been taught, and instead he finds himself being accused."
The Rosa family has been threatened and has had to move, the Web site states, and is "suffering from financial problems. What is worse: Joshua needs urgent financial support to get a good attorney." Criminal defense attorneys "are really expensive and they [the Rosas] do not have the funds to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars."
"Please get involved," the Web site urges. "If at least you give one dollar, that will be used in this very just cause."
Ron Tomlinson noted that there was no mention of his son or the way he was killed.
"They don't put in there what he [Rosa] was charged with," Tomlinson said. A friend spotted the posting a few days ago and told Tomlinson.
The grieving father said he doubted he would take any action.
"That's their choice," he said. "If they want to put that on there, that's their choice, but when you have a place of God that's doing it, raising money for the defense for somebody who did that to my son, I just couldn't believe it."
Richard Guzman, pastor of the church, made no apologies. He said his church has the right to say whatever it wants in its sermons and on its Web site.
"We can't be restrained," he said, adding that the congregation is convinced of Rosa's innocence. "No one is going to stop us. That is our prerogative."
__________________ Commen Sense and Critical Thinking are an absolute joke in today's society. Yes I am talking to you!
The question is whether the guy did it or not. The father's speaking as though it's fact when in reality he's only accused. I would hope the father wanted a thorough investigation to find who really did it instead of settling on a fast answer.
"raising money for the defense for somebody who did that to my son, I just couldn't believe it."
The man is ACCUSED, not CONVICTED. If the father has evidence then he should bring it to the trial. Seems these days being accused of a crime is enough.
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Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf
On the other hand, the church is not just saying the suspect deserves a fair trial; they're saying he is in fact innocent. If they have evidence of that, they should also bring it to the trial. I'd guess they're taking the suspect's word for it and are ignoring whatever the police have.
Obviously I wouldn't convict him from here just because of a news article, but I'd say that if the guy was arrested on DNA evidence there's a very good chance he's guilty.
"Sheriff's detectives found Rosa's keys under Tomlinson's body. Rosa told police he lost the keys while jogging, but later told police he found Tomlinson's body and tried to revive him."
A youth minister finds one of his students dead, attempts to revive him and then doesn't tell anyone about it - until he's confronted with the evidence from the police? Can I be on the jury?
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Liberty is for those that claim it.
