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In Newberry, Florida, a 23-year-old man named Kobe Deon Delima finds himself facing new charges after a detective linked a firearm recovered during his arrest in March to a stolen gun case. Delima is now charged with grand theft of a firearm after the detective’s investigation connected the dots.
Delima’s initial arrest on March 13th came with a slew of charges, including possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, tampering with evidence, possession of a small amount of marijuana, resisting an officer without violence, and petit theft. These charges were serious on their own, but the recent development adds another layer to the case.
The turn of events unfolded when, on April 7th, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Detective took on a case involving a Newberry resident who reported a missing pistol. The man had noticed the firearm missing from his pickup truck on April 6th, although he hadn’t seen it for three to four weeks prior. The stolen weapon was identified as a tan Sig Sauer P365 9mm pistol.
The detective’s meticulous investigation led to a breakthrough when he compared the serial number of the stolen pistol with the one found on Delima during his March arrest. Initially, a typographical error—an omitted zero in the serial number—seemed to obscure the connection. However, by diligently cross-referencing property reports and photographic evidence, the detective was able to confirm the firearm as the one reported stolen, tying Delima to the theft.
The detective compared the serial number of the stolen pistol to the firearm recovered during Delima’s arrest, and he found that a typographical error — the initial report was missing a zero in the serial number — but by reviewing the property reports and photographs from the case, he was able to confirm that it was the victim’s pistol.
The victim also reportedly correctly described the ammunition that was found in the pistol.
Post Miranda, Delima reportedly said he never had the gun, it cannot be proven that he ever had the gun, and if his DNA is found on the gun, “it is what it is.” He then said he did not want to answer any more questions.
Delima has been charged with grand theft of a firearm. He has three felony convictions (one violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (one violent), and Judge Joy Danne added $15,000 bail to his existing $154,000 bail.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.