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

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Published  May 27, 2025 4:27pm EDT
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News
Previous coverage: Family seeks justice after deadly crash

Previous coverage: Family seeks justice after deadly crash

Jennifer Kveglis reports.

The Brief

    • A tow truck driver involved in a St. Pete crash that left a 9-year-old boy's mother and grandfather dead, was arrested more than seven months later.
    • He's now facing two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving that caused serious bodily injury.
    • Court records show George Aponte has a checkered driving history with at least six traffic citations in the past five years.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A tow truck driver involved in a St. Pete crash that left a 9-year-old boy's mother and grandfather dead was arrested more than seven months later, according to officers. 

The St. Petersburg Police Department said George Aponte, 45, was arrested for causing the double-fatal crash, which happened along 5th Avenue South on October 15, 2024. He's now facing two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving that caused serious bodily injury. 

Booking photo of George Aponte. Courtesy: Pinellas County Jail. 

RELATED: Family of 9-year-old boy who lost mother, grandfather in St. Pete tow truck crash seeking justice

The backstory:

The crash left ShaKesha Desence, 35, and Dilean Desence, 72, dead. ShaKesha's 9-year-old son, Daylan Desence, was also seriously injured in the crash and spent nearly four months in the hospital before going home. Police said he's continuing to mend from his injuries at home. 

Dig deeper:

Daylan was in the car with his mother and grandfather on their way home from a dentist appointment when they turned in front of Aponte's tow truck on 5th Avenue South, near 20th Street South in St. Pete. But according to the crash report, Aponte was on his phone and traveling at an estimated speed of 60 mph in a 35-mph zone before the crash.

Pictured from left to right: ShaKesha Desence, Daylan Desence and Dilean Desence. 

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"They were listed as like a Jane Doe, John Doe, because the car was so badly mangled from the impact of the vehicle," Deon Desence, the child's uncle and now caretaker, told FOX 13 back in February.

Court records show Aponte has a checkered driving history with at least six traffic citations in the past five years. 

Pictured: Crash scene in St. Pete from back in October 2024. 

The Source: The information in this story was released by the St. Pete Police Department. FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis also contributed to this report. 

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