Man dies after leap from Tampa General Hospital parking garage

TAMPA — A 43-year-old man died after jumping from a parking garage after being released from Tampa General Hospital Tuesday night, police said.

The man, whose last known address was in St. Petersburg, died after dropping from the six or seventh floor of a seven-story parking garage outside the hospital, Lt. Bruce Leidholdt said.

Police were not releasing the man's name pending notification of his family.

A hospital spokeswoman could not confirm anything about the fall due to patient privacy issues.

Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer

Teen sues in Tampa over image used to promote porno flick

TAMPA — An 18-year-old English photography student has filed suit in Tampa federal court charging a porn movie producer stole her self-portrait from her web site and used it to promote a hardcore porn DVD. Download the lawsuit (PDF)

Lara Jade Coton learned from a visitor to her photography web site that the image, a self-portrait she took at age 14, was on the cover of Body Magic, a hardcore pornography film by TVX Films.

"I was absolutely horrified to see my work and my own picture being used on that kind of a movie," Coton said in a statement released Tuesday by her Tampa attorney.

Richard A. Harrison, a lawyer with Allen Dell, P.A., of Tampa, filed the federal lawsuit in Tampa’s U.S. District Court, accusing Nevada-based TVX Films president Bob Burge and his company of a list of legal violations including copyright infringement, civil conspiracy, misappropriation of her image, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

"All of our kids our out there posting pictures on MySpace and Facebook," Harrison said. "A couple of clicks and somebody can copy it and something like this can happen."

In the picture, the aspiring photographer sits at a window wearing in a shoulder-baring dress, a top hat hiding her eyes.

Coton seeks damages, and wants the court to impound all copies of the movie and other materials bearing her image. A representative from TVX Films could not be reached at its offices late Tuesday.

Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer

Man accused of bank robbery in Temple Terrace

TEMPLE TERRACE — A 38-year-old man has been arrested, accused of robbing the GTE Federal Credit Union in Temple Terrace, police say.

Keith B. Miller was arrested today on charges of bank robbery and grand theft after police say Miller robbed the credit union, located at 9380 N 56th St.

A bank teller told police a man entered the bank just before 9:45 a.m. today and handed the teller a note demanding money.

A few minutes later, police officers spotted a man who matched the suspect's description walking across 50th Street just north of Busch Boulevard.

Witnesses from the bank identified Miller, and he was arrested. Police recovered the money taken from the bank.

Abbie VanSickle, Times staff writer

Progress Energy worker injured while working on power line

DUNEDIN — A Progress Energy employee was injured Tuesday night while working on a power line at 1001 Egret Court, just off of Union Street and Patricia Avenue, authorities said.

It was unknown whether the man was struck by lightning or came in contact with the line, said Dunedin Fire Department district Chief Patrick Competelli. The incident occurred shortly before 7 p.m., as storms were passing through the area.

The man's identity and condition were not immediately released. Competelli said the worker suffered some burns to his body and was taken by ambulance to Tampa General Hospital.

A Progress Energy spokeswoman said an investigation was under way and she did not have any other details.

Jacob H. Fries, Times staff writer

Two mistreated retrievers find homes, others available

TAMPA — Two dogs from a pack of golden retrievers seized Monday have been adopted, said Hillsborough County Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan.

The 17 purebreds were found in filthy conditions at the house of 65-year-old Tim Sexton, of 1307 Eckles Drive, Ryan said.

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay has placed the youngest dogs, 11 eight-week-old puppies, in foster care to recover from worms and malnourishment. Once the puppies are healthy enough to be sterilized, the Society will put them up for adoption, Ryan said.

A four-year-old adult female is also up for general adoption at the Animal Services shelter. A fourth adult female is going to a local animal rescue group, Astorling Sanctuary in Brooksville.

Sexton refused to surrender the oldest dogs, a female and male, but Ryan said he has little chance of keeping them.

Sexton was being held in the Orient Road jail Tuesday, with bail set at $2,000, charged with 17 counts of improper confinement of animals.

Anyone interested in adopting the four-year-old female should fill out the form at hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices and bring it to the shelter at 440 Falkenberg Road, Ryan said. To inquire about the puppies, call the Humane Society at (813) 876-7138. Astorling Sanctuary can be reached at (352) 754-8975.

Michael Mohammed, Times staff writer

Picnic Island Park beach re-opened to swimmers

TAMPA — Officials have re-opened the beach at Picnic Island Park for swimming. Analysis of a water sample taken Monday showed safe levels of bacteria. The Hillsborough County Health Department had closed the beach after finding a potentially dangerous concentration of bacteria in a July 23 sample.

States Edge Closer to Forcing Cleaner Cars

The political battle continues over whether states can set higher fuel-efficiency standards than the federal government. By a 10-9 vote, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Tuesday passed a bill that could speed the process. Two years ago California asked the EPA for permission to establish tougher fuel standards; 14 other states followed suit, including Florida, according to a release from Florida Sen. Bill Nelson. The EPA has not responded, and some states have threatened to sue if the EPA doesn’t make up its mind. The bill, co-sponsored by Nelson and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, would force the EPA to act within a month of a state’s application.

Pinellas Commission suspends county attorney

In the first official fallout from the controversy over the purchase of Pinellas Property Appraiser Jim Smith's private land, the County Commission voted unanimously this afternoon to suspend County Attorney Susan Churuti with pay.

Commissioners, however, didn't approve the second part of the motion by Commissioner Karen Seel, which was also to suspend County Administrator Steve Spratt.

Seel said she had lost trust in both Churuti and Spratt and "my trust can't be retrieved."

Commissioner Susan Latvala echoed Seel's concerns, saying new documents keep appearing "that we've never seen before."

Churuti has been under fire after the St. Petersburg Times revealed that prior to the county closing the deal to buy Smith's property for $225,000, the 20-year county veteran obtained conflict of interest waivers so that she might  represent both the county and Smith's private claim in the transaction.

Spratt, too, has been critized heavily because his original accounting of the transaction to commissioners, in a July 13 written report, omitted several key details.

A Pinellas County grand jury is scheduled to begin an investigation of the deal on Thursday.

Deadly water moccasin bites Osteen woman

A woman in rural Osteen was bitten through her garden gloves by a deadly water moccasin, the Daytona Beach News Journal reports. The woman spent three days in a hospital but was released.

Progress Energy owes customers $13.8-million

The Public Service Commission voted 4-1 today to force Progress Energy to refund $13.8-million to its customers.

At issue is whether Progress Energy bought the cheapest coal available for generators at its Crystal River plant. The commission found that Progress did not act prudently in buying a more expensive type of coal. The refund is based on an estimate by commission staff of how much customers would have saved from 2003 to 2005 if Progress had purchased the cheaper coal.

"We did something good for the ratepayers in the state of Florida," said Commissioner Matthew Carter.

C.J. Drake, spokesman for Progress Energy, said, "We are disappointed in the commission's decision." Drake said the utility is "assessing its options," including an appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.

If a refund takes place, it would be subtracted from the cost of fuel that customers see on their bills, Drake said. Last year, Progress Energy spent more than $2-billion on fuel for its Florida customers.

After hours of debate, some commissioners wanted more time and information. New Commissioner  Nancy Argenziano, a former state senator, said she supported the refund, but with a good deal of "distress." She wanted more information, but said, "At this point, there's no way I'm voting no against giving the customers a refund."

New commissioner Nathan Skop fought for a bigger refund but voted for it in the end. 

Commissioner Katrina McMurrian cast the lone dissenting vote, saying that she believed Progress acted prudently in purchasing coal.

Progress has argued that the cheaper coal had a lower BTU content, and would have produced less power, wiping out any savings.

Progress Energy Florida, based in St. Petersburg, supplies power to nearly 1.7-million customers in 35 counties. It has 14 power plants with a capacity of producing 9,000 megawatts of electricity. It is owned by Progress Energy, which is based in Raleigh, N.C.

-- Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Driver with 'brights' on had license suspended 17 times

A Martin County sheriff's deputy pulled over a man who was driving with his bright lights on and learned his driver's license has been suspended 17 times, according to Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers. The man was taken to jail.

A Florida black bear picnic in the Panhandle

A man in the Panhandle is struggling with Florida black bears that go through his trash cans. He strapped the lids down but it did no good, according to the Northwest Florida Daily News. A bear grabbed his neighbor's trash and came to his property to eat it.

Police: Suspect left inmate badge ID in fitting room

Charlotte County sheriff's deputies arrested a man on month-old shoplifting charges after stopping a car in which he was riding. Authorities say the man had gone into a fitting room at a department store, changed clothes and left without paying for the new clothes. They say he left his Florida Department of Corrections inmate badge in the fitting room, according to the Charlotte Sun.

2 pit bulls attack man's dog: 1 shot dead

A Gainesville man awoke to sounds of a dog fight and found his Labrador-Mastiff mix battling two pit bulls. The man shot one of them with his .22-calbre revolver, the Gainesville Sun reported. The other pit bull ran away.

1 man, 3 crashes, 1 arrest

The Florida Highway Patrol arrested a Lake Butler man after he was involved in three crashes in Bradford and Union counties in the wee hours of Monday morning, including one wreck where a pedestrian was hit, the Gainesville Sun reports.

'Just die, Dad. You need to just die'

A Bradenton man was charged with neglect after police found his 90-year-old father in their home covered with feces and blood, and suffering from open wounds. Manatee County sheriff's deputies overheard the man saying, "Just die, Dad. You need to just die," according to the Bradenton Herald.

Man found badly hurt after brawl dies

A Palm Harbor man who was injured after an early-morning brawl outside a downtown Clearwater nightclub has died, Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor said Tuesday.

"He died as a result of his injuries and the investigation has changed to a homicide investigation," Shelor said.

Leon Dash Jr. 48, of 455 Alt. U.S. 19 S. died early Tuesday morning, Shelor said.

On Sunday night, a party for teens was held at the Atrium Martini Bar at 601 Cleveland St. where Dash was serving as a bouncer. The teens left the club at 2 a.m. A brawl broke out in a parking lot on Park Street behind the club. Dash was found unconscious and with head injuries and flown to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg where he later died.

Lee County schools restrict military recruiters

Military recruiters won't have open access to Lee County schools anymore, pleasing activists who lobbied for the change, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. When the new school year begins Aug. 20, the recruiters will set up at high school career centers and can show up only by appointment. Before the new policy, recruiters set up tables in school cafeterias, while other schools kept them at career centers. Recruiters shrugged. "We still have ways of coming across to our fan base,'' said Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Anoine. "We still have ways of coming across to our fan base."

Woman faked daughter's death, police say

TAMPA -- Police this morning arrested a woman who is accused of scheming to defraud health care professionals by faking her daughter's death.

Police say the woman, Jean Fontalvo, presented a doctor's office with a fake death certificate that showed her 13-year-old daughter had died of lung cancer.

When she asked for a donation, the doctor's office workers became suspicious and contacted police who arrested her shortly before 11 a. m. today.

-- Abbie VanSickle, Times staff writer

Crist says insurers gaming the system

Gov. Charlie Crist suggested during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that some property insurance companies may be deliberately flouting a new state law that requires them to buy cheaper reinsurance and pass the savings on to consumers.

Crist said he was concerned that some insurers might be "playing a game" with their new filings, by buying more private backup coverage than they need in an effort to undermine the state's effort to lower consumer rates. He has been needling insurance companies for months about high rates.

"That's the game we have to figure out, and it's not a funny game," Crist said during a Cabinet meeting. "They're not passing those savings on ... It's the law — and there are consequences to not adhering to the law."

The Legislature passed the law in January to lower wind coverage premiums, by opening up the state's Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to cover more of the underlying risk for big storms. That backup coverage is provided at lower cost than private reinsurance, and insurers were told to give those savings to consumers.

But many companies don't appear to be doing that, and are filing for higher rates than Crist and Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty think are fair.

Insurance companies said they must charge enough to cover their risk so they can pay claims if there is a storm.

Crist urged McCarty to look closely at filings for rate increases to make sure companies were not trying to avoid passing on the savings.

"I would encourage to make sure these companies adhere to the letter of the good reform," Crist said.

Man charged in trafficking, battery at TIA

TAMPA -- A 25-year-old Tampa man was arrested at Tampa International Airport early Tuesday, accused of a conspiracy to traffic in heroin.

Alexander Burgos, of 3603 Garrison St. N, was charged with trafficking in illegal drugs, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, obstructing or opposing an officer with violence and aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.

He was arrested just after midnight at the airport.

Jail records show Burgos, who also goes by Ivan Franco, has a lengthy arrest record for charges of drug trafficking and firearm  possession. He is being held without bond at the Orient Road Jail.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

32 pit bulls chained without food and water

Thirty-two pit bulls were found without food and water and restrained by heavy chains Monday at a house in a Tallahassee neighborhood. Police arrested a man and charged him with multiple counts of animal cruelty, breeding for purposes of dogfighting and drug charges, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

TV retailer HSN's recovery slow

HSN's comeback, more than a year in the making, has not exactly caught fire with shoppers. Barry Diller's parent IAC/InterActiveCorp today reported revenues at the St. Petersburg-based TV shopping network' declined 1 percent in the quarter ended June 30, the week before the network launched big promotions to lure new customers to check out the new look. Sales were up a modest 3 percent if America's Store, the network's second channel which was closed in May, is factored out of the comparison. The company reported a modest increase in the average prices paid per order. The number of orders, however, was flat and the percentage of products returned inched up to 19 percent.

Consumer confidence--up nationally, down in Florida

Consumer confidence nationally rose to a six-year high in July, but in Florida it dropped a point. University of Florida researchers blame the slumping feeling in Florida on the weak housing market. "It is becoming increasingly clear that Florida's economy is moving in a different direction than most of the country," said survey director Chris McCarty. "Our expectation is that consumer confidence in Florida will decline a bit further and remain low for the remainder of 2008. More details from UF.

-- Times staff writer Helen Huntley

Mean but clean in a Key West bar

A bartender in Key West sprayed a patron with soap after he complained about a rusty beer. The bartender said the man splashed beer at him, according to the Key West Citizen.

Porn? Prostution? Both, cops say

Pornographic videos shot in the Florida Panhandle fueled a multi-million web site that has led to charges against five men. The videos were shot at private homes in Pensacola and Pace, hotels in Escambia County along Interstate 10, and even the woods and in public places, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. It's more than a porn case, though, because prosecutors say paying people to have sex for the camera is prostitution.

Jacksonville women accused of FEMA fraud

The nine Jacksonville women said they were 2005 hurricane victims. They each got about $2,000 from FEMA. One problem: Neither Hurricane Rita nor Hurricane Katrina hit Jacksonville, and now a federal grand jury has accused them all of fraud. The Florida Times-Union has details here.

Wife hides gun, so man tackles burglar

A Port St. Lucie man who was feeding his baby at 3 a.m. tackled a teenaged burglar who was breaking into a car near his home, police said. He would have used his gun, Jeffrey Ryder said, but his wife had hidden it. He didn't even think twice about confronting the kid, said Ryder, 35. "My mother screamed at me for it,'' he said. The Palm Beach Post has the deatails here.

"What's next? Robbing a lemonade stand?''

In Pembroke Pines, Patricia Turgeon plans to pack an ax handle in her Mr. Cool ice cream truck after she was robbed at gunpoint Sunday. "I almost wanted to grab the gun because it looked like a toy,'' Turgeon tells the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Says police St. John Jacob: "What's next? Robbing a lemonade stand?'' Turgeon moved from Rhode Island 10 months ago after a car accident. The weather's better for her legs, she says. Read more here.

A house of horrors in Port St. Lucie

Nine starving teenagers and young adults were held like prisoners by a Port St. Lucie woman in a decades-long scheme to get government cash for adopting and raising them, police said. They were often handcuffed, joined together by plastic ties and allowed to soil themselves, the Orlando Sentinel reports. They ranged in age from 15 to 27 and none had more than a fourth-grade education. Said police Capt. Scott Bartal: "Horrible, I think, would be the best word to describe what was going on in that house." Read more here

New slot machines produce $45-million school deficit

Slot machines at Broward County parimutuel facilities were supposed to help bail out Florida public schools, but they have proven far less popular than expected. The result: a $45-million school spending deficit the Legislature must deal with at a time when tax dollars are short. The Miami Herald lays it out here.

Police identify St. Pete homicide victim

From left, next-door neighbor Jim Post, landlord Ron Vogt and St. Peteresburg Police officer William Silva talk in front of apartment house where a man was found murdered. Post has lived next door for 14 months but said he didn't know the victim: "I'd just see him coming and going," he said. "I'd say hi to him once in a while, but he pretty much kept to himself." (Times photo by Cherie Diez)

ST. PETERSBURG — Police have identified the 63 year-old man who was found dead in his home as Luyen Pham, an employee of a company called Advanced Manufacturing.

Pham (left), a Vietnamese immigrant, was found lying on his back, his hands and feet bound, police said. They say he suffered from "upper body trauma.''  They found evidence of a struggle but not forced entry.

Police discovered the body about 6 p.m. Monday after officers were sent to the address to check on Pham's welfare. His 1988 Burgundy Honda Accord (see photo below) was missing and later found about 2:30 a.m. today in a dirt parking lot at Norwood Baptist Church, 1818 29th Ave. N. The car's hood and trunk are painted white. Police ask anyone who may have seen the car to call (727) 893-7164.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Photos of Pham and his car courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.

3 robbed by gunmen outside townhome

TAMPA -- Brandishing handguns, four gunmen on Monday ordered three people standing outside a townhouse to the ground and demanded their wallets, police said.

Ken Faliero told investigators that he and two others were standing outside at 704 S Rome Ave. around 11:15 p.m. when they were approached by the gunmen, described by police as four males in their mid 20s.

Police said Faliero was pistol-whipped when he tried to get off the ground. One female victim was dragged to the front door to get her purse.

All four men ran north on Rome after the robbery. Police believe they were involved in a similar robbery some two hours later at 6926 Orleans Ave.

One possible suspects was taken into custody after police found a vehicle at 22nd Street and Osborne Avenue.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Victim in fatal motorcycle crash ID'd

CLEARWATER -- Police have identified the victim in a fatal crash that claimed the life of a motorcyclist
on Monday.

Leonard Patton, 36, of 604 13th Ave. NW in Largo, was traveling south on Myrtle Ave. on a 2001 Harley-Davidson Sportster when he approached Bryant Street. A 1987 Dodge van driven by 20-year-old Darryl Hammond, of Clearwater, was headed north on Myrtle Ave.

Investigators said both vehicles were traveling close to the road's center line around 4 p.m. when Patton made "some sort of an evasive movement to avoid the oncoming van," according to a Clearwater Police news release.

Patton lost control of the motorcycle and was thrown to the pavement. Hammond swerved to avoid the motorcycle and ran over Patton, the release said.

No charges been filed as the investigation continues.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Man hogtied in home; Largo PD looking for his car

Largo police were looking Monday night for three suspects who allegedly beat and hogtied a man in his home. The three, a woman and two men, escaped with the man's wallet and car.

Police are in search of the car, a gold 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier with the license tag W008JD. The victim was identified as Stephen Mason, 56, who lives at Avalon Travel Trailer Park, 16860 U.S. Highway 19 N near Whitney Road. He was being treated at a local hospital for bruises and possible other injuries, said Largo police Sgt. Ryan Dulski.

Mason was punched in the ribs, his legs and arms were tied with phone cord and his mouth was stuffed with a sock, Dulski said. He said the trio who robbed Mason had been staying at his home.

Police responded at about 8:30 p.m. Monday after neighbors heard Mason's screams. He had been there about an hour.

Tom Tobin, Times staff writer

Spring Hill soldier killed in Iraq

Pfc. Cody C. Grater, 20, of Spring Hill was killed Sunday when his guard position was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade near Baghdad, the Defense Department said Monday.

Grater, a paratrooper, was a driver with the 82nd Airborne Division. "Our son died doing what he was proud of," said Grater’s mother, Anita D. Lewis, and stepfather, Larry L. Decker, in a statement. "It was his goal to make the Army his career, which he loved. He was proud of serving his country."

Grater joined the Army in April 2006. His awards include a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

"He was eager to learn and excelled at all aspects of his chosen profession," Lt. Jason Gardel said. "Pfc. Grater always went the extra mile to help out his comrades."

Two dead in head-on motorcycle crash

WESLEY CHAPEL -- A Zephyrhills couple was killed Monday after a head-on collision with a Dodge Caravan carrying a family of four, according to a Hillsborough Sheriff's news release.

Charles Francis Viveros, 43, was driving north on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle on Morris Bridge Road near the Pasco-Hillsborough county line (Google Maps) just before 7 p.m. Susan Lynn Ferrara, 38, was riding on the back.

Witnesses told investigators the bike's front tire began to wobble, causing the motorcycle to veer into the southbound lane and collide with the van.  Witnesses also said the van had "no time to take evasive action," according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Viveros, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown into the van's windshield. Ferrara was thrown to the pavement. Callaway said Ferrara had been wearing a helmet. Both were dead at the scene when emergency crews arrived.

The driver of the Caravan, 20-year-old Cheryl Shambrea Farr, was taken by helicopter to St. Joseph's Hospital. Her husband, Curtis Farr, 21, and their two children - Kaylee, 1, and 2-year-old Dalyes - were taken there by ambulance, Callaway said.

Injuries to the Farr family were described as non-life threatening.

Parts of Morris Bridge Road were closed to traffic as emergency responders from both counties helped investigate the crash scene.

Rebecca Catalanello and Casey Cora, Times staff writers

Six injured in Plant City crash

PLANT CITY -- Six people were hospitalized after a single car crash late Sunday, a sheriff’s spokesman said.

Silvestre Rodarte, Jr., was driving a 1998 Mercury westbound on Cason Road near Gentry Road when he failed to negotiate a left turn. Rodarte, 20, drove off the road, through a ditch and came to a stop on top of a berm, sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

Rodarte and passenger Alicia Poss, 15, were flown by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital.

The other passengers also were taken to local hospitals by ambulance: Ryan Daniel Swindle, 17, to Tampa General Hospital; Kayla Rodriguez, 16, and Camerin Trice, 15, to Lakeland Regional Medical Center; and Olen Tweed, 18, to South Florida Baptist Hospital.

Swindle and Poss were both listed in critical condition and Rodarte was listed in fair condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. Information about Rodriguez, Trice and Tweed was not immediately available from hospital officials Monday. Callaway said that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

Rodarte was charged with careless driving and driving with a suspended license, Callaway said.

Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer

Part of E Sligh Ave. to close Tuesday

TAMPA -- Drivers should avoid part of E Sligh Avenue on Tuesday as workers seek to repair a water line between N 22nd and N 24th streets starting in the morning. This section of Sligh Avenue will be closed to traffic in both directions throughout the day beginning at 8 a.m. Tampa Water Department asks drivers to find alternate routes.

Motorcyclist killed in Clearwater wreck

CLEARWATER -- A wreck involving a motorcycle and a van in southern Clearwater Monday afternoon resulted in the death of the cyclist, police said.

The crash took place shortly before 4 p.m. near Myrtle Avenue and Belleair Road. Clearwater police traffic homicide investigators were en route to the scene, according to police.

Pasco seeks big hike on school tax

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Pasco school district officials want to raise school impact fees to $10,477, more than twice the current rate of $4,356 per new home.

The proposal was floated at a joint workshop Monday among district officials, county and municipal leaders.

The tax hike, which would affect builders and incoming residents, is part of a larger package of state-mandated changes. By February 2008, the district must come up with a state-approved plan on how it will pay to house its growing student population, called "concurrency" requirements.

With most revenue sources falling because of the housing slump, Pasco school officials are eyeing school impact fees as what its consultant, Bob Nabors, calls "the only money within local control."

The proposal is similar to Pasco's road impact fees, which the County Commission in April more than doubled current rates to keep up with growth. The district hopes to get the school impact fee plan formally before the County Commission in September, and an ordinance by year-end.

-- Chuin-Wei Yap, Times staff writer   

State Attorney closes Tampa lawyer's domestic violence case

TAMPA - Tampa lawyer Dennis Hernandez avoided jail time for domestic violence charges Monday by entering a pre-trial intervention program.

Hernandez, 39, was charged with false imprisonment, a felony, and domestic battery, a misdemeanor, after being accused of beating up a former live-in girlfriend on New Year's Day 2006. Hernandez and Rebecca Crigler, the mother of his eldest child, are entangled in an ongoing child support and child custody fight.

He also sued her for extortion, saying she had threatened to ruin his reputation if he didn't leave his current wife or give her more money.

Tampa police arrested Hernandez on Jan. 1, 2006, after Crigler accused him of punching and kicking her and holding her captive inside his $2.5-million Palma Ceia home.

Crigler said their fight began when she resisted his attempt to pull off her shirt and pants. Hernandez hit her, then threw her to the ground and kicked her, his arrest report said. Police took pictures of a cut on Crigler's chin and abrasions on her elbows.

When she tried to leave the home, Hernandez wouldn't let her, records show.

If Hernandez successfully completes the 18-month pre-trial probationary period, the charges will be dropped. The Hillsborough State Attorney's Office imposed special conditions on Hernandez, including psychological, drug and alcohol evaluations and domestic violence classes. He must write Crigler a letter of apology and perform 50 community service hours.

Hernandez did not admit any guilt or wrongdoing in the case, which had been set for trial Monday.

"The reason why I decided to take this route is that it's the most expeditious way for us to close this issue and move forward with the custody case," he said after court.

--Colleen Jenkins

Pasco deputies break up 'elaborate' grow house

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Pasco deputies found about 150 marijuana plants at two homes on Osceola and Lakeview drives early Monday, culminating a months-long investigation that began with a tip from a citizen, authorities said.

Three people were arrested on Monday in connection with the bust, said sheriff's office spokesman Doug Tobin. Their names will be released later in the day.

About 35 plants were found at 9530 Osceola Drive and about 117 plants at 9954 Lakeview Drive. Deputies worked from about 7 a.m. to noon cleaning up the scene at the two homes. Deputies also found marijuana plants at a third location undisclosed by authorities.

Indian Shores: Search on for 7-Eleven robber

INDIAN SHORES -- Police are searching for a man they say held up a convenience store early Sunday.

Police said the man walked into the 7-Eleven, located at 18115 Gulf Blvd. around 2:50 a.m., approached the counter,then pointed a knife at the clerk and demanded money.

The man, who investigators believe is responsible for a similar robbery in St. Petersburg, is described as a white male, around 25 to 30 years old. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a light-colored baseball cap and a dark jacket.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Jason Routzahn of Indian Shores Police at (727) 595-5414.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

[Surveillance photos courtesy of Indian Shores Police Department. Click to enlarge]

Largo man pleads guilty to killing 2 in Ocala Forest

OCALA -- A Largo man pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of first-degree murder and received two consecutive life terms for killing two 26-year-old college students who were camping in Ocala National Forest.

Leo L. Boatman, 21, (photo at left) changed his plea to guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty, said State Attorney Brad King. The prosecutor said he made the plea offer based on the wishes of the families of Amber M. Peck and John L. Parker, the Santa Fe Community College students.

They had been camping at Hidden Pond in January 2006 when Boatman ambushed them with an AK-47 assault rifle.

"I can't offer an explanation because there is none," Boatman told Circuit Judge Willard Pope.

The parents of both victims told the judge they wanted Boatman to be sentenced to life in prison.

Associated Press

Man killed in crash

WEEKI WACHEE - A car going the wrong way on U.S. 19 slammed into a tractor trailer late Sunday night, just north of Weeki Wachee, killing a Lake Worth man.

Kyle Smith, 36, was driving his Mercury sedan south in the inside northbound lane of U.S. 19 when he collided head-on with a tractor trailer traveling north, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The four-lane highway is divided by a grassy median.  Smith was pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa at 1:09 a.m.

-- Austin Bogues Times staff writer

Pinellas deputy arrested on abuse charge

HOLIDAY -- An off-duty Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy was arrested at his Pasco County home early Monday, accused of domestic battery.

Kenneth R. Garris, 52, an 11-year veteran of the department, has been placed on administrative leave.

Tampa ALF evacuated

TAMPA - Smoke from an overheated dryer forced the evacuation of nearly 60 people from assisted living facility morning.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews responded to the facility, located at Chapman Road and Nebraska Avenue, around 9 a.m.  Residents were placed on HARTline buses and taken away from the building, but have since returned.

Low pressure front no threat to Florida

Forecasters are watching a broad area of low pressure centered about 200 miles west of Bermuda, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. But they don't expect it to pose a problem for Florida.

The front could bring conditions favorable to tropical or sub-tropical development and heavy rains as the storm continues to the northeast at 10 to 15 mph, the outlook says.

The low pressure will keep moving out to northeast and "will not effect us whatsoever," said meteorologist Ernie Jillson.

"That's not one we have to worry about," Jillson said.  "It's out there."

Despite forecasts of a busy hurricane season, it has been relatively quiet since the season began June 1. The season runs through Nov. 30.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Masked gunman sought in Plant City shooting

PLANT CITY -- Police are still searching for the gunman in a shooting that left one man seriously injured late Sunday.

Wille Knighton, 46, of Plant City was shot several times just after 9:30 p.m. at 1402 Neil St., Police Sgt. James Smith said.  Knighton was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The gunman is described as a black male, 28 to 31 years old, who is 5 foot 7 and weighs 150 pounds.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

3 hospitalized after Tampa crash

TAMPA - A car went through a red light and crashed into another vehicle Sunday evening, sending a mother and two young children to the hospital.

Jason Ryan Robushy, 22, was driving a Nissan Altima south on 50th Street when he ran a red light at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Tampa police Lt. Brian Dugan said. The Nissan hit a four-door Oldsmobile sedan heading east on King, he said.

The impact flipped the Oldsmobile on its side. Mae Ola Sims, 37 and two children, ages 3 and 5, were taken to Tampa General Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition Sunday, Dugan said.

Two injured when boat hits pylon beneath I-75

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s officials, county fire rescue and officers with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to a boating accident at 9338 Old Gibsonton Drive (Google Maps) in eastern Hillsborough County on Saturday night.

Authorities said a boat traveling in the Alafia River hit a pylon for Interstate 75 around 9:45 p.m. The accident left two inured people in the water.

A portion of I-75 was temporarily shut down so a rescue helicopter could land to transport one of the injured boaters to a hospital. The other victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Officials said the boat was badly damaged.

Jackie Ripley, Times staff writer

Coast Guard rescues brothers, dog from swamped boat near Gandy Bridge

TAMPA -- The U.S. Coast Guard pulled two brothers and their dog from the waters off the Gandy Bridge Saturday afternoon.

Jose Maldonado, 21 and, Jorge Torres, 29, of Tampa, were fishing northwest of the Gandy Bridge around 2:30 p.m. when a sudden thunderstorm dumped so much water into their boat that it began to sink. The men had on lifejackets, and jumped into the water and began to swim toward dry land.

"All I could think of was that bridge," Maldonado said. "I just wanted to make it to the bridge."

They clung to the bridge’s concrete pilings and waited to be rescued.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Sean Stone said Maldonado was pulled to safety first. He handed over Tainina, a small black cocker spaniel, and then Torres was pulled from the water. Stone said the rescue was made easier because the men were wearing lifejackets. They also pulled Maldonado’s 16-foot boat to shore.

Jackie Ripley, Times staff writer

Troopers release name of man killed in crash

Florida Highway Patrol officials have released the name of the man who died yesterday in a traffic accident at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Citrus Way, north of Brooksville.

Authorities said 72 year-old Denmar Shoemaker of Homosassa was westbound on Citrus Way when the Pontiac sedan he was driving entered the intersection and collided with a Ford F-350 pickup towing a 27-foot boat. Other passengers in the car, Colleen Hoffman 55, John Sartin 63, and Jessica Sartin, 55, were airlifted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

Three children and the pickup’s driver, Tamara Slayton of Brooksville, were taken by ambulance to Brooksville Regional Hospital. As of Saturday night, their condition was unknown.

Austin Bogues, Times staff writer

Arrest made in shooting of 17-year-old

Pinellas County sheriff's deputies charged Clinton C. Davies, 18, left, late Friday with second-degree murder in shooting death of Jesse E. O'Hara.

O'Hara was shot multiple times early Friday morning in the passenger seat of his friend's car, which was near 56th Avenue N and 48th Street.

Police said they followed several leads Friday that led to Davies, who they said admitted he was involved during an interview. He was arrested on one count of second degree murder at about 7:30 p.m. at the Sheriff's Administration Building in Largo. 

Detectives continue to investigate the motive for the shooting.

Pasco deputy accidentally shoots hand

A Pasco County Sheriff's deputy was getting ready for work when he put his 40-caliber Glock gun into its holster and accidentally shot himself in the hand.

Police are not releasing his address or identity. It happened around 6 p.m. near the corner of Maxwell Lane and Embassy in New Port Richey.

The deputy was transported to North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey. The Sheriff's Office is investigating.

Man dies in Hernando County accident

Rescue workers remove an injured boy from a truck at the scene of a fatal accident in northwest Hernando County. (Times photo by Ron Thompson)

A man was killed Friday evening at the busy intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Citrus Way north of Brooksville when a Ford pickup truck hauling a boat collided with a Pontiac sedan.

Three helicopters and several ambulances arrived on the scene to take injured motorists to regional hospitals following the 6 p.m. accident. Witnesses said the truck was traveling north on U.S. 98 when it struck the sedan.

Rescuers attempted CPR for more than 10 minutes on the injured man, whose identity was not released by authorities on Friday.

Pasco school impact fees to rise

Pasco school district officials are proposing “a very significant increase” to school impact fees, which could add “several thousands more” to the current rate of $4,356 per new home.

The district’s consultants are still working on the numbers, said assistant superintendent Ray Gadd.

But the proposed hike could end up hogging the limelight at a joint workshop Monday in New Port Richey, when top brass from the county and district meet to pore over a new “interlocal agreement.”

The agreement governs how the two agencies manage school overcrowding, a chronic concern in fast-growing Pasco.

It’s poised to make the district a more powerful player in Pasco’s growth management.

It introduces a numbers-based, zone-driven system to even out the impact of new residents.

But it’s coming at a time when money problems dog the district. State funding for Pasco could drop by $14-million, the district’s finance chief Olga Swinson said.

State officials want to sign off Pasco’s reform package, called “concurrency requirements,” by February 2008.

Read more about the anticipated changes and expected problems in Saturday's Pasco Times or at pasco.tampabay.com.

-- Chuin-Wei Yap, Times staff writer

Armed man arrested for impersonating cop

TAMPA - A man wearing a Tampa police uniform and driving a car loaded with police supplies and weapons was arrested today on charges of impersonating a law enforcement officer, authorities said.

Joseph Ramos, 43, was stopped on W Columbus Drive because his window tint was too dark, police said. Officer Stephen Hiles said Ramos jumped out of his Toyota Camry dressed in what appeared to be a Tampa police uniform. He also was running strobe parking lights and a strobe dashboard light.

When Hiles ordered Ramos back into the car, he said, Ramos reached for a handgun on the passenger seat. It turned out Ramos was under a domestic violence injunction, which bars him from carrying a weapon. He was arrested.

A search, police said, uncovered the following items:

One loaded .410 shotgun, two pellet handguns, a pellet gun that looked like a machine gun, four tasers, a nightstick, a 16-oz. can of pepper spray, a book of official blank Tampa Police trespass warnings, a neighborhood watch book, a day planner for the HIllsborough County Sheriff's Office, a gun belt and numerous handcuff keys.

Also found: a law enforcement mail order magazine.

Former PSC member Rudy Bradley fined $5,000

TALLAHASSEE - Former Public Service Commission member Rudy Bradley of St. Petersburg was fined $5,000 Friday for his role in a notorious case in which he was fed a memo written by Verizon as part of a rate hearing, read from it to argue the utility's position, and kept it secret.

A unanimous Commission on Ethics punished Bradley for violating a law that bars private communication between PSC members and utilities they regulate on the merits of a pending case. Any contact must be disclosed within 15 days. The largest fine the panel can levy is $10,000.

Tampa woman faces bigamy charge

A Tampa woman has been arrested on bigamy charges after her new husband discovered she already has a husband and six kids, Pinellas County deputies said

Kimberly Norris, 37, (left) married a coworker on Honeymoon Island in Dunedin a year ago and lied on a marriage application about how many times she had been married, detectives said.

She never moved into her new husband's Oldsmar home, though she had access to it and his vehicles, deputies said. She said she didn't want to move her kids from their schools.

The new husband became suspicious when she balked at mailing the marriage certificate to the court clerk's office, deputies said.

Norris eventually confessed to her new husband, but said she was getting a divorce. But she was living with her husband and five of her six kids in a house in Tampa, deputies said.

The new husband filed a complaint with sherriff's officials in April and Norris was arrested Thursday in Olsdmar at a fast-food restaurant.

Photo courtesy of Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

St. Pete boy, 17, shot and killed in car

ST. PETERSBURG -- Pinellas Sheriff's detectives say a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed while riding in the front seat of a car early Friday.

Jesse E. O'Hara, of 4820 17th Ave. N, was in the passenger seat of a four-door maroon Chrysler Concorde when he was struck by several bullets.

Investigators at this hour don't have many details, but said the shooting took place in the area of 48th Street and 56th Avenue N. Authorities have not said where the bullets entered the car or who may have fired them.

The driver, whose name has not been released, drove away and pulled over into the entrance of a Verizon service building at the 4300 block of 54th Avenue N in the Lealman area. The driver, described by officials as O'Hara's friend, then dialed 911.

Paramedics rushed to the scene and pulled O'Hara from the passenger seat onto the pavement. He was pronounced dead at the scene around 1:25 a.m.

"The only witness at this point is the driver of the vehicle," said Sheriff's spokeswoman Marianne Pasha. When asked if the driver of the car was a suspect, Pasha said "at this point, no."

As news spread this morning that O'Hara was killed, those who knew the skinny-but-muscular kid said they were glued to news Web sites for updates about the Sheriff's Office investigation.

Amy Fitzpatrick, 16, a former classmate of O'Hara's at St. Pete High, said her phone began ringing this morning, with a network of shocked friends comforting each other. 

"I need a hug," one friend said.

Fitzpatrick said O'Hara was supposed to stop by and say hello to her on Thursday, but instead went to a get-together with friends.

Fitzpatrick said O'Hara found trouble easily, and had once been expelled from St. Pete High, but said she didn't think he would be involved in serious violence.  School district spokeswoman Andrea Zahn said O'Hara had been a student at Bayside High School. Officials there could not be reached.

"I've never known for Jesse to mess with guns," Fitzpatrick said. "He caused trouble, but I don't think he'd touch a gun."

Fitzpatrick said she will remember O'Hara for his love of rap music and hanging out at the beach, and for "his hugs, his laugh and his bubbly, always smiling personality."

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Suspect sought in three bank robberies

ST. PETERSBURG - Authorities are asking the public's help in finding a man wanted in connection with three recent bank robberies.

James R. Collins (left) is accused of robbing Cornerstone Bank, 5800 38th Ave. N in St. Petersburg on July 17; Wachovia Bank, 3131 66th St. N in St. Petersburg on July 18; and Wachovia Bank, 8700 Bryan-Dairy Road in Seminole on July 23.>

No weapon was used and no one was injured in the three robberies, police said. He used notes given to tellers demanding cash. Police said they identified Collins through tips from the public, the result of news coverage of the bank robberies.

Photo courtesy Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Utility worker shocked by power line

A truck driver, 35, received an electrical shock about 1 p.m. today while setting a concrete pole on a Countryway Boulevard median in Westchase. The driver accidentally touched a 230,000-volt overhead power line, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department.

He apparently was not injured, but was taken to Tampa General Hospital for observation. "He was alert and talking and appeared to be fine," said Hillsborough Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley.

While crews waited for TECO to check the area for safety hazards, the underground transformer connected to the power line sparked and exploded, throwing dirt and debris into the air, a sheriff's department report said.

Chambers request postponed

TAMPA - The City Council today postponed discussion of the Martin Chambers case, moving it to next week when it could decide to refer it to the U.S. Department of Justice to reinvestigate.

Council members wanted more time to study the case, and set a hearing for 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Chambers family declined to speak to the council, reserving their comments for next week.

“Right now, I don’t have a choice,” Chambers’ brother Jeffery Collins-King Chambers said before he left City Hall.

Martin Chambers was 19 when he was shot in the back and killed by a Tampa police officer in 1967, sparking days of riots in the city’s predominately black neighborhoods. A state attorney deemed the shooting justifiable. A subsequent investigation at his family’s behest in 1990 reached the same conclusion.

But the family sees hope in the Emmitt Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act, which if passed would appropriate $100-million for prosecutors and federal agents to revisit murders from the civil rights era.

-- Mike Mohammed, Times staff writer

Northdale shooting stemmed from affair, deputies say

TAMPA -- The man charged with murder in a shooting in the Northdale area Wednesday is a former Tampa police officer, Hillsborough sheriff's officials said.

Thomas Hall found out his estranged wife, Debra Hall, 44, was having an affair with Jason Mullis, 35, said sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.

About 4:30 p.m. Mullis left his house, at 3201 Hoedt Road in Northdale, to meet Debra Hall at a nearby McDonald's. But he didn't get far before her husband, 51, rammed his Mercedes into Mullis's pickup truck, Callaway said.

Mullis got out. Neighbors and employees at the nearby Pep Boys Auto told deputies they heard the men arguing loudly. Then Hall shot him with a 45-caliber revolver, Callaway said.

Hall joined the Tampa Police Department in October 1985 and retired in July 2000, police said. Deputies don't know how he found out about his wife's meeting with Mullis.

His wife told deputies that he called her cell phone, told her he was with Jason and hung up, Callaway said, but Callaway said he didn't know whether the call occurred before or after the confrontation.

--Michael A. Mohammed, Times staff writer

Tampa Bay power plant among dirtiest in the U.S.

TECO Energy's Big Bend plant is one of nine plants in the U.S. to rank in the top 50 for carbon dioxide emissions both in the overall amount released and in the emissions rate, according to the Environmental Integrity Project released today.

Concerns about global warming have led to an increased focus on greenhouse gases. In addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), the group also looks at sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and mercury pollution.  Here's the searchable database.

-- Times staff writer Helen Huntley

Police arrest man in coin machine robberies

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police arrested a 29 year-old man on grand theft charges today, saying he may be the one who used a crowbar to break into dozens of coin machines in local laundromats.

Daniel Forro faces 17 counts of grand theft and criminal mischief.

Undercover detectives say they saw Forro (left) entering Betty's Coin Laundry at 8101 Fourth Street N early Thursday and begin using a crowbar to break into coin machines inside. Police also arrested two people who they said were Forro's accomplices: 32 year-old Daniel Lombardi, the lookout, and 21 year-old Tiffany Hazellief, who was waiting in a car.

Police say Forro may be responsible for as many as 55 coin laundry thefts, and more charges may be  pending. They say he may have taken about $3,000 during his crime spree and is responsible for over $30,000 in damage to the coin machines.

Abhi Raghunathan, Times staff writer

(Pinellas County Sheriff's Office photo)

Marine's friend: 'He was a great man'

Family and friends escort U.S. Marine corporal Miguel Angel Suarez's casket from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Tampa this morning. Suarez died after being fatally shot during an attempted robbery early Saturday morning. In addition to family and friends, members of the Patriot Guard Riders and the U.S. Marines Corps 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion attended the funeral service. "He was an outstanding Marine, he was proud to be a Marine, he was a great man," said Marine staff sergeant Joshua Luneau, who attended the funeral and knew Suarez. [Chris Zuppa | Times]

Family of 3 escapes carbon monoxide scare

TAMPA -- A toddler's cries tipped off a family to a potential tragedy early Thursday after fire crews said an SUV had been idling in the garage of a South Tampa home, leaking carbon monoxide into the house for as many as eight hours.

It started just after 4:30 a.m., when the Gagliardo family's 2-year-old son woke up crying and complaining that he didn't feel well.

The mother, awakened by her son's cries, noticed she also wasn't feeling well.

Turns out, the family's SUV had been idling in the garage. The carbon monoxide gas had seeped into the home, located at  3406 W Bay Vista Ave.

Fire officials believe the SUV was on for several hours, enough time to turn the garage into an oven. Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Bill Wade said another car inside the garage was too hot to touch by bare hands.

All three family members were treated outside the home and taken to Tampa General Hospital.  Janice and the toddler were treated and released. The father, Salvatore Gagliardo, was released later in the afternoon.

Fire crews used fans to ventilate the poisonous gas from the home.

Wade said the incident is being handled as an accident, and took Thursday's near-tragedy to highlight the importance of detecting carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas best sniffed out by store-bought detectors.

"If your home has a possible source for carbon monoxide, please have a carbon monoxide detector in your house, with your smoke alarm." Wade said.

Listen to audio: 911 call

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

'Truth or dare' game leads to kids' arrests

PORT RICHEY -- Two boys are charged with felonies in connection with allegations that they sexually touched and kissed a girl during a game of "truth or dare."

The incident occurred June 10 in a pool at an undisclosed address in Port Richey, according to sheriff's reports. The boys were 12 and 14. The St. Petersburg Times is not naming them because of their ages. Sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said the girl was "more than 5 and under 11." He would not disclose the girl's exact age for fear of identifying her.

It was not clear who alerted authorities, or whether any adults were present during the time in question. Both boys were arrested Wednesday and charged with lewd or lascivious molestation and were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Land O'Lakes.

There is no minimum age at which a child can be charged with a sex crime in Florida, Tobin said after consulting with agency attorneys. A key question is whether the child knows right from wrong.

Thomas Lake, Times staff writer

Columbus Drive reopens under I-4

TAMPA -- The Florida Department of Transportation is reporting the completion of a realignment project at Columbus Drive under Interstate 4. All lanes are open to traffic.

All connecting interstate ramps between 50th Street and Columbus Drive have also reopened.

FDOT is asking motorists to be advised of the new traffic conditions.