Man suspected in death of girlfriend at abandoned Pine Hills home arrested, deputies say

Bobby Lee Story, 52, found in Tampa

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man identified as a suspect in the death of his girlfriend, who was found in an abandoned Pine Hills home with her two grandchildren nearby, has been arrested in Tampa, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said Bobby Lee Story, 52, was arrested in connection with an aggravated battery case in which Story is accused of stabbing a man in the face during an argument in Orange County. Story has not been charged in relation to the death of his girlfriend, 41-year-old Denise Hayls, but he was identified as a suspect in that case last month.

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Hayls was found near the front door of 3422 Pipes O the Glen Way on Aug. 24 after a passerby noticed two toddlers, ages 2 and 3, wandering alone on Pine Hills Road that day around noon, according to a news release. 

"They were wandering sort of aimlessly alone, and she asked them why they were wandering alone," Orange County Sheriff's Office public information officer Jeff Williamson said. “The good
Samaritan asked the children where (they) lived. The children were smart enough to bring them back to this location.”

During the course of the investigation, Story was quickly identified as a suspect because he had a history of domestic violence against Hayls, deputies said.

A search had been underway for Story since last month. The exact circumstances of his arrest were not immediately available. 

Hayls' grandchildren were put in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families child protective service.

Check back for more updates on this developing story.


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