‘Smiling And Laughing’ FL Man Justyn Pennell Arrested In ‘Intentional’ Pedestrian Vehicle Strike Of Senior Citizen

HUDSON, FL. (THECOUNT) — Justyn Pennell, of Hudson, Florida, has been identified as the suspect arrested after he admitted to intentionally running over a senior citizen with his vehicle because he was “looking for someone to run over so he could see what it’s like to kill.”

Pennell, 21, contacted 911 operators Thursday afternoon just before 3 p.m., telling dispatchers he had just intentionally hit a 75-year-old pedestrian with his vehicle and killed him. According to the arrest report, Pennell said he was smiling and laughing when he struck the victim.

Deputies and Pasco Fire Rescue responded to the scene and found the victim, an unidentified veteran on the side of Aripeka Road.

They then found Pennell’s 2004 red Chrysler PT Cruiser about a quarter of a mile away, which was inoperable. The car’s passenger side had front-end damage to the bumper, hood and windshield.

Pennell told deputies at the scene he had intentionally hit the victim with his car and kept driving until the vehicle stopped working. According to the arrest report, he did not know the victim and “was trying to understand why he did this.”

When he was interviewed by detectives, Pennell said he saw the victim walking along the roadway with a walking stick, so he made a U-turn, accelerated and purposely ran into the man.

“While he’s driving at his victim, he could see the look of fright on the victim’s face,” Sheriff Chris Nocco said. “This man is absolutely evil.”

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Hudson is a census-designated place located at the westernmost end of Pasco County, Florida, United States and is included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, Hudson’s population was 12,158 – Wikipedia.