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Tow truck driver in St. Pete crash that left mother, grandfather dead has checkered driving history

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Published  May 28, 2025 10:22pm EDT
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News
Tow truck driver arrested in deadly crash

Tow truck driver arrested in deadly crash

Jennifer Kveglis reports.

The Brief

    • On Tuesday, St. Pete police arrested tow truck driver, George Phillip Aponte, for vehicular homicide.
    • Mother, Shakesha Desence, and grandfather, Dilean Desence, were killed in the October crash.
    • Aponte has been cited for careless driving three times and speeding another three times.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The tow truck driver arrested in connection to a crash that took the lives of a mother and grandfather, critically injuring a 9-year-old, has a checkered driving history. 

The St. Petersburg Police Department said they arrested 45-year-old George Phillip Aponte on Tuesday. 

RELATED: Clearwater tow truck driver arrested months after crash that killed mother, grandfather

Pictured: George Phillip Aponte. 

The backstory:

On October 15th, 35-year-old Shakesha Desence, 72-year-old Dilean Desence, and 9-year-old Daylon Desence were leaving a dentist appointment when their SUV collided with Aponte's tow truck. The crash report states Aponte was traveling 60 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone and was on his phone. 

Shakesha and Dilean died from the impact of the crash. The 9-year-old boy was hospitalized for four months. 

Pictured: Shakesha Desence and Dilean Desence.

Dig deeper:

FOX 13 learned that in the past five years, Aponte was issued at least six traffic citations. Three were for careless driving and there were another three for speeding. One of those infractions took place in January, after the deadly crash. 

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Criminal Defense Attorney Anthony Rickman, who is not affiliated with this case, said this driving record won't bode well in court. 

"This defendant has a responsibility to drive responsibly, especially knowing that he potentially has these very serious criminal charges weighing on top of him," Rickman said. 

What they're saying:

In a statement given to FOX 13 on Wednesday, the family's attorney, Okoye Morgan, said in part: 

"While nothing can undo the pain they’ve endured, they believe this is an important step toward justice. They are grateful to law enforcement and the state attorney's office for their efforts in ensuring justice is served. The family continues to grieve, but this development brings a measure of peace as they move forward."

READ: Bartow 'group home' where man was murdered was not licensed by state, being shut down

Pictured: Daylon Desence.

In February, the 9-year-old's uncle, Deon Desence, said with a broken hip, the boy has a long road to recovery and some of his wounds may never heal. 

"My sister and my dad were my nephew's world," he said. "He's heartbroken. He misses his mother. He misses his papa. Sometimes he even says, 'Uncle Deon, I don't understand why God let me live and didn't let me go be with my mother and my papa."

FOX 13 reached out to Aponte's attorney for a comment on his arrest but did not receive a response. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. 

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