BRANDON — A 32-year-old man was killed in an apartment complex early Thursday.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said Travis Ware was "hanging out" with three other people at the Asprey at Lake Brandon Apartments, 1220 Astor Commons Place, when he got into a fight with another man about 1 a.m. Ware suffered upper-body trauma and stumbled outside the apartment. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he died.

The man he was fighting with ran away.

By 5 a.m., deputies had a warrant to search the complex and had identified Ralph Leon Pearson, 51, as a person of interest. Deputies said Pearson was in the apartment at the time of the incident, but left before their arrival.

Authorities interviewed Pearson and released him Thursday evening. Carter did not say whether Pearson was still considered a person of interest, but as of Thursday evening, no charges had been filed.

Ware lived in the complex where the incident took place, but not in the unit where the fight happened. He has a criminal record in Hillsborough and Jacksonville counties, including charges for marijuana possession, grand theft and carrying a concealed weapon.

Pearson's record is lengthier, with 40 arrests on charges including possessing and selling cocaine, domestic battery, aggravated assault, burglary, kidnapping and false imprisonment.