Murder suspect arrested in Longboat

A man arrested by Manatee County sheriff’s deputies Wednesday night in Longbeach Village is a suspect in the shooting death of a Bradenton smoke shop owner, police said.

According to arrest documents, Amando Alexander Zeppi, 20, was taken into custody at 11:10 p.m. in the 800 block of Broadway Street. He was booked into the Manatee County Jail with no bond allowed on first-degree murder charges.

Additionally, bond was revoked on two previous charges on which further court action was pending.

Deputies in Manatee County suspect Zeppi, and two other men they seek, in the Tuesday shooting death of Mohammed Hamed, who ran the Green Galaxy Smoke Shop on First Street West in Bradenton.  

Zeppi’s address, according to arrest documents, is in Bradenton.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Hamed died in the course of a robbery when a rifle used to strike him in the head discharged and fatally wounded him. A witness connected Zeppi to the homicide, leading detectives to his arrest.