Search for missing boaters continues

Pinellas County officials are searching for two men who went missing earlier today on Lake Tarpon in North Pinellas County. The search has been suspended for the night and will resume in the morning.

It appears that Dale Puricelli, 49, and Daniel Propes, 46, both of Holiday, launched their 15’ boat from Anderson Park shortly after 7am this morning, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office. Other boaters found the men’s boat adrift -- with fishing equipment and personal items still onboard -- at about 11:30 a.m. in the Lake Tarpon Outfall Canal.

Two Sheriff’s Office vessels and a helicopter are scouring the area, according to the Sheriff’s Office. In addition, the Sheriff’s Office Underwater Search and Recovery Team is responding with side-scan sonar equipment to assist in the search.

Coast Guard Searching Gulf for Ft. Lauderdale Man

The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing its search today for a Ft. Lauderdale man who was reported missing Saturday from a 46-foot pleasure craft about 75-miles west of Bayport.

Lindsay Forde, 48, of Ft. Lauderdale, the captain of the vessel, was reported missing at 6:37 p.m. Saturday, by vessel owner Michael Swindle, whose age and hometown are not known.

According to Coast Guard officials, Swindle had recently hired Forde to help him take the vessel from Houston, where it was purchased, to Florida.

According to Swindle, he had gone below deck and when he went topside again Forde had disappeared. Forde is reported to have not been wearing a life jacket.

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter from Clearwater arrived on scene at 7:25 p.m. Saturday, and began searching the vicinity for Forde. Coast Guard rescue helicopter are continuing to search today.

In the search area, seas are running six to eight feet, winds are at 27 knots, there are scattered thunderstorms and the water temperature is 87 degrees. Conditions were similar Saturday when the search for Forde began.

The Coast Guard Cutter Hawk, stationed in St. Petersburg, Fla., is currently escorting Swindle and the vessel to Tarpon Springs.

Man dies after jumping off Bayside Bridge

CLEARWATER -- A 27-year-old Pinellas Park man died Saturday after jumping from the Bayside Bridge, Pinellas sheriff’s officials said.

Dong Van Bui was driving north on the bridge around noon when witnesses said he stopped his car south of the bridge’s hump, got out and jumped over the side. Motorists called 911. Rescue crews found Bui and took him to Countryside Mease Hospital, were he was pronounced dead at 2:02 p.m. Deputies are treating the case as an apparent suicide.

Teen kite surfing ran into power lines, then fell to the ground

DUNEDIN -- A 16-year-old Clearwater boy suffered life-threatening injuries Saturday in a water sport accident at the Dunedin Causeway, authorities said.

Christopher Bryan Kenny was kite surfing about noon when a gust of wind pulled him from the water and into power lines that ran along the north side of the causeway. He then fell 20 to 30 feet to the ground, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Kite surfing is a sport in which a person straps his or her feet onto a surfboard-like platform and uses a large kite to steer across water. The sport also is known as kite boarding.

Kenny was conscious after the fall, but appeared disoriented, witnesses said. Paramedics transported him to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, where he remained Saturday evening with life-threatening injuries.

Two dead in apparent murder-suicide

Two people are dead after an apparent murder suicide in Hunter's Green subdivision in Tampa Saturday morning.

According to the Tampa police department, a neighbor called 911 about 8 a.m. and reported seeing the lifeless body of 48-year-old Anna Burgess in the front yard of her home, 17808 Hickory Moss Place. When police and emergency workers arrived, they saw movement inside the home and called hostage negotiators and the SWAT team for assistance.

After several attempts to contact the person inside the house, they entered through the front door and found the body of the husband, Roy Burgess, 53, inside a hallway. 

Based on the preliminary investigation, police believe Roy Burgess murdered his wife and then shot himself, according to Andrea Davis, Tampa police spokeswoman. Detectives are still working to determine whether there was a motive. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots around midnight but didn't call police. The couple has two teenage sons who were not at home at the time.

Clearwater teen shot girl in the head, police say

SAFETY HARBOR - Deputies arrested early this morning a Clearwater 16-year-old on charges that he shot a female acquaintance in the head while she was driving.

Alexander Page, who lives at 1612 Country Lane West, faces one count of attempted homicide and was being taken to Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center this morning.

According to authorities, five teenagers were in a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Deaonna Tarver, 17, of Clearwater. Page was in the back seat. At about 5:30 p.m., as Tarver was headed to Oldsmar, she and Page began arguing.

Tarver turned east onto State Road 580 from North Bay Hills Boulevard when Page shot her once in the head at point blank range, deputies said. The Jeep, which had been moving slowly at the time, was brought to a stop by another passenger.

Page ran from the vehicle while the other teens in the Jeep drove Tarver to to Mease-Countryside Hospital, deputies said. She was later transferred to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg with a life-threatening injury.

Detectives found Page about about 1:30 a.m. today at a home at 5020 69th Avenue North in Pinellas Park.  They also found the .22-caliber handgun used in the attack, which had been hidden in a backyard shed at a residence in Safety Harbor.

Investigators say Page said he fired the gun inside the Jeep, but offered varying accounts of how the shooting took place.

-- Jacob H. Fries, Times staff writer

NetBank shutdown shakes up Market Street Mortgage

NetBank Inc., an online bank with $2.5-billion in assets, was shut down by the government on Friday because of an excessive level of mortgage defaults. It was the largest savings and loan failure since the tail end of the industry’s crisis more than 14 years ago.

The bank’s seizure will mean new owners for Clearwater-based Market Street Mortgage, an independent subsidiary of NetBank. “We’re negotiating with a potential buyer (of Market Street) right now,” FDIC spokesman Rickey McCullough told the Times Friday night. He said the FDIC hopes to sell the company as a whole, including all the fixed assets and loan production offices, rather than breaking it apart.

Founded in 1986, Market Street made $3.2-billion in loans last year. It currently has 590 employees in 16 states, McCullough said. He said the Clearwater company did not make the subprime loans that are being blamed in part for NetBank’s downfall.

-Times Staff Writer Helen Huntley

New venture capital firm to focus on Southeast U.S.

Three Florida venture capitalists are joining forces to form Sunrock Ventures, a venture capital firm with offices in Tampa and Miami that will invest in businesses throughout the Southeast.

"The Southeast comprises approximately 2 percent of the nation's population, economic output and high tech industry, yet it attracted less than 5 percent of the total venture capital investments in 2006," managing director Tate Garrett said in a statement.

Garrett is joined by fellow managing partners Matthew Shaw and Jeffrey Wolf. Their targeted fund size is $100-million, which they plan to raise from a group of limited partners.

Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Medical examiner: Wrestler's death caused by drugs

TAMPA -- Former professional wrestler Brian Adams died after accidentally ingesting a deadly combination of drugs, according to a preliminary report from the Hillsborough Medical Examiner's Office.

Adams, who was found dead in his bed at his New Tampa home on Aug. 13, had a combination of buprenorphine, an analgesic; carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant; and other drugs including an antianxiety drug in his system, the ME's office said.

Adams, 44, entered pro wrestling's major leagues in 1990 when he signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment. Over the next decade he performed with marquee names like Bret "Hit Man" Hart, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the Undertaker. He was sidelined for good after a spinal injury in 2003.

Man finds $100,000 cash hidden in the attic

A Sanford man was looking for a bad wire in his attic after the power went out when he found $100,000 in cash, starting a messy legal fight over who should get the money, the Associated Press reports. The money was hidden in a cavity cut in the insulation in four plastic bags filled with $20 and $100 bills and stuffed into a strongbox. The man, a 26-year-old computer engineer, remembered that someone was killed in the home years earlier, so he called police.

Police: Man kept dead rommmate for a month

A man in Punta Gorda kept the decomposing body of his 86-year-old roommate in their house for a month while he used the dead man's ATM card and cashed his checks, police said.The body was discovered in a bedroom of the small house Thursday after a rent collector stopped by, smelled a foul odor and contacted authorities, the Associated Press reported.

Woman says she was dragged 50 feet by hair

HOLIDAY -- A man was arrested Thursday after his wife told authorities he had dragged her by the hair about 50 feet down a street.

The woman had contusions and bruising on her forehead, right ear and shoulder blade, as well as a sprained pinkie finger, a sheriff's report said.

Michael V. Russo, 37, of 2030 Cemetery Road, Holiday, was arrested, charged with domestic battery and held without bail in the Land O'Lakes jail.

A report said he told a deputy that his wife had fallen on the front porch, and that he told one of their children to give the same story.

--Thomas Lake, Times Staff Writer

Arrest made in attack that required man's scalp to be reattached

MOON LAKE -- First came a punch to the face, and then a wooden board to the head, blow after blow, and out came a pocket knife, piercing the man's leg and forearm, severing part of his ear.

By the time the beating was done Aug. 24, according to a sheriff's report, Richard Bernhardt had lost seven teeth and sustained several puncture wounds. His skull was visible. He needed 21 stitches to reattach his scalp.

The attacker, according to authorities: Kraig Richard Constantino, 38, above left, who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 200 pounds and lives at 12025 Smokey Lake Loop. He was arrested Thursday afternoon, charged with attempted murder and held without bail Friday in the Land O'Lakes jail.

The motive:

"I'm going to kill you," Constantino told Bernhardt, while brandishing the board, according to the report, "for thinking about sleeping with my girlfriend."

--Thomas Lake, Times Staff Writer

Allstate files for rate increase

Allstate is the latest major property insurer to say it's increasing rates statewide: an average of 42 percent for Allstate Floridian Insurance, which is concentrated in South Florida, and 28 percent for Allstate Floridian Indemnity company. The increases will affect nearly all Allstate customers, which number between 350,000 and 400,000.

"The bottom line is this comes down to financial stability," said Adam Shores, an Allstate spokesman. "We’ve seen an increase in risk and the cost associated with that. We’ve consistently made a promise to our customers to be there for them when they need to have claims paid, and in order to do that, we need to have the capital in place for that."

In March, Allstate had filed to lower its rates, 14.2 percent for Allstate Floridian Insurance and 13.2 percent for Allstate Floridian Indemnity.

-- Times Staff Writer Jennifer Liberto

New owners for Cypress Gardens

A federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven at the bargain price of $16.8-million to a Polk County real estate investment group. LandSouth Holdings LLC, which typically trades in timberland or develops raw acreage, confirmed it hired Kent Buescher to run what will be its first venture in the theme park business. In the bankruptcy, Buescher was forced to give up his ownership of Cypress Gardens and Wild Adventures theme park in Valdosta, Ga., in two separate transactions that will raise $51.3-million to be split among creditors, who are owed more than $125-million.

Bail now $5M each for title company couple

Bail for John and Cheryl Wehlau was raised to $5-million each Friday after a statewide prosecutor told a Pinellas judge that they are a flight risk, and that millions of dollars they are accused of stealing remains unaccounted for.

The Wehlaus were charged with 25 felonies each this month involving the theft of $7.9-million from the escrow account at Gulf Coast Title Closings and Escrow Services in Palm Harbor.

Baily had been set at $5-million each when they were taken into custody, but their lawyer had gotten a judge to reduce it to $100,000 each, arguing that the couple had no previous criminal record and ties to the community.

But on Friday, Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Mark A. Campbell told Pinellas Circuit Judge Robert J. Morris Jr. that in recent months, the Wehlaus used their autistic daughter to commit fraud in the purchase of  a home in Hudson.

And as recently as last weekend, the prosecutor said, their relatives were hawking expensive jewelry, Rolex watches and other valuable items at a flea market in Odessa, items that investigators believe were bought with money the Wehlaus were accused of stealing.

The judge then reinstated bail to $5-million for each of the 41-year-old defendants.

St. Pete: Police search for suspects in armed robbery

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police have released surveillance video of an armed robbery that took place inside a gas station Wednesday. Watch video.

Two men, one armed, walked into the BP gas station at 2753 Fifth Ave. S about 8 p.m., pointed a handgun at the store manager and demanded cash. Both drove off in a gold Jeep Cherokee.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Petersburg Police communications center at (727) 893-7780.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Two jump from Sunshine Skyway this morning

Update: Officials confirmed that two people jumped from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge this morning, with diverging results.

One of them, Maggie Dennis, 44, of Tampa, jumped from the center span of the bridge - 197 feet, 4 inches at its peak -  and was killed, said Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokesman Debbie Carter said.

Investigators say Dennis jumped sometime after 7:22 a.m. She had parked her car on the bridge's center span, left a note inside the car, then jumped over a rail and plummeted into the rocks below.

Relatives were in the process of filing a missing person's report, Carter said.

The other woman, Dorothe Kadane, 85, of St. Petersburg, jumped  25 to 30 feet into the water from the bridge's southwest side, Carter said. She survived.

It is unclear what provoked Kadane into her attempt. Investigators also found a note in Kadane's car.

She was found by U.S. Coast Guard rescuers floating about 3 miles from Anna Maria Island around 9:30 a.m. Authorities believe she had been in the water for two hours, putting Dennis and Kadane's jumps at roughly the same time.

U.S. Coast Guard rescuers took Kadane to Galati Yacht Sales on Anna Maria Island, and was later taken to Bradenton's Blake Medical Center for a physical evaluation. Officials say she was "not injured in any way."

Manatee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dave Bristow said Kadane will be taken into custody by their deputies under the Baker Act, a Florida law empowering police officers to take those they believe to be in need of a mental evaluation to hospitals for fear of harm to themselves or others.

Including today's jumps, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said there have been 46 suicide attempts since 2002. Three people have survived.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Police chief to New Tampa: Lock your car doors

NEW TAMPA -– Lock your car doors, residents of New Tampa.

That was the message Tampa police Chief Steve Hogue had for members of the New Tampa Rotary Club at their Friday morning breakfast meeting.

Between bites of blintzes and bacon, Hogue told the packed banquet hall at the Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club that 118 cars had been burglarized this year. More than 80 of those cars were unlocked.

The criminals are looking for anything visible of value and a popped lock.

Criminals could see a laptop, cell phone or even a few dollars of change in the console and not think twice about breaking in, Hogue said.

Hogue said in addition to locking car doors, residents can reduce crime by putting the garage door down and not leaving a bicycle or other easily stolen items in plain view.

Despite these property crimes, Hogue said that New Tampa is the safest area in the city of Tampa. “New Tampa crime-wise is nowhere like the rest of the city,” he said. “Two years without a murder.” 

Hogue has served four years as chief and runs a staff of more than 1,000 officers. He said the office has three officers per 1,000 residents, better than the national average of 2.5 officers per 1,000 people.

In addition to being safe, Hogue said New Tampa residents also receive fewer tickets than folks in other areas. Of 125,000 tickets given out by Tampa police last year, 8,000 were in New Tampa. He said officers even handed out about 2,000 warnings. It just looks likes New Tampa drivers are being ticketed more often because so much traffic is on major roads, chiefly Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

-- Jared Leone, Times Staff Writer

Clearwater man charged with robbing Tarpon Springs pharmacy

TARPON SPRINGS -- A Clearwater man has turned himself in to police in connection with the armed robbery of a CVS pharmacy on Sept. 21, police said.

Andrew F. Iverson, 30, who lives at the Skylit efficiency motel on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, told investigators that he decided to surrender late Thursday after seeing surveillance photos of himself in news reports about the holdup, which took place at 1000 E Tarpon Ave.

Iverson said a longtime addiction to pain medication drove him to commit the robbery, police said. In that holdup, a man with a gun in his waistband demanded oxycodone from the pharmacist, received an undisclosed amount of the drug and left. Police said this week that the same robber also is suspected of robbing a Walgreens on U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor four days earlier.

Iverson was booked into the Pinellas County Jail early today on two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of theft as a result of an outstanding arrest warrant from Burlington County, N.J. He was being held without bail.

Man shot on front steps of Childs Park home

ST. PETERSBURG -- What started with a barking dog ended with a man being shot twice and pleading with his attackers to not open fire on his mother, police said.

Police said Adrian Terry was working on his car late Thursday when he heard a nearby dog barking and went to investigate. Then Terry, 28, saw a car in the alley behind his house at 4420 Fairfield Ave. S in the Childs Park neighborhood.

As he glanced in the driver's side window of the car, Terry was approached by a man with what appeared to be a shotgun, police said. When Terry took off running, he was shot in the left ankle, and ended up on the steps leading to his front door.

Terry's mother then stepped outside. Another attacker, armed with a small-caliber handgun, approached the steps and pointed the gun at her.

"Adrian pleaded for them not to shoot his mother," said police spokesman George Kajtsa.

Terry's mother ran back inside. The attackers ripped a bracelet off Terry's wrist, and he was shot again, this time in the left forearm with the handgun. Terry was taken to a local hospital.

Police describe the attackers as two black males in their 20s. One is described as 5 foot 10, 160 pounds with a slender build and a dark complexion. The other is described as 5 foot 8 and 180 pounds with a muscular build and a light to medium complexion. Both had their faces covered during the attacks, police said.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Don Shea to leave St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership

Don Shea, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, resigned and will take a similar economic development position in Louisiana with the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority. In a resignation letter, Shea stated the move would allow him and his wife to be closer to their children in New Orleans and friends in Louisiana.

Boy, 12, found beaten and bloodied in Pinellas Park

PINELLAS PARK -- A resident found a bloodied and burned child in the lobby of a subsidized housing complex Thursday and called police.

When officers arrived at the apartment within Freedom Village, 7700 66th St. N, they found the boy laying in his own feces and dried blood on a linoleum floor. He suffered a fractured skull, broken nose and burns on his arm. Based on other scars, police think the abuse had been occurring for some time.

Police arrested Reginald Carr, 42, left, about 2:30 p.m. Thursday. He faces four counts of aggravated child abuse. His bail was set at $400,000. Police did not release the name of the boy's mother, but jail records show Drenda Y. Patrick, 43, right, with the same apartment address as Carr, was charged with four counts of child neglect. Her bail was set at $80,000.

Pinellas Park Police Lt. Paul Andrews said the boy, 12, was kept in a bedroom with no furniture, only a plastic bucket to be used as a toilet. Andrews said the boy was kept in the bedroom "most of the time."

"They had an ironing board propped against the door, so if he opened the door, they would hear it," he said.

Hernando commission approves record cut in tax rate

BROOKSVILLE -- The grueling tax debate of 2007 in Hernando County ended early this morning as the County Commission approved a record cut in the 2008 budget and a record property tax rate reduction.

The final hearing, moved to Grace World Outreach Church to accommodate the large crowd, stretched on for more than seven hours before the commission's final vote, which came just after midnight.

The approved countywide tax rate was 6.34 mills, a rate that translates into $6.34 of tax for every $1,000 of appraised taxable property value. For the owner of a $125,000 home with a $25,000 homestead exemption, the portion of the tax bill to support county services would be $634.

That is a nearly 19 percent drop from the county’s portion of the tax bill last year, which would have been $781.

Assisted-living facility hid workers with criminal records, employees say

Thomas Lake writes for Friday's St. Petersburg Times:

NEW PORT RICHEY -- A man applied for a job at a home for the elderly. He had pleaded no contest to a violent felony; he was hired nonetheless. One morning last week, police say, he lunged at an 78-year-old Alzheimer's patient and punched him in the face.

The man went to jail, but he was not the only the person with a criminal record on the New Port Inn payroll. At least two other caregivers also had criminal records. And before state investigators arrived Tuesday to survey the facility, those caregivers were swept out of view.

"The state's gonna come in," caregiver Rachel Trubey says a supervisor told her Sept. 20, just before firing her, "they're gonna be looking at employee records, they're gonna be breathing down our necks, and we'd just feel better if you weren't around."

"You can come back to work when this all cools down."

Trump condo developer ordered to repay deposit

Scott Barancik writes for Friday's St. Petersburg Times:

A local investment group that put a $566,000 deposit on two Trump Tower Tampa condos but tired of waiting for the troubled project to be built may be getting its money back.

Adaja Properties LLC, which reserved Trump Tower units 4001 and 2304 in August 2005, filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Tampa developer SimDag/RoBEL this July. SimDag failed to respond, however, so last month, Hillsborough Circuit Court Judge Frank Gomez ordered it to repay Adaja’s $566,000 deposit, plus $22,000 in interest and legal fees.

"The contract called for completion within a certain period of time," Tampa attorney Thomas Long said in an interview Thursday. "We don't believe that's been met."

But the fight may not be over just yet. Kathy Rentas, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who represents SimDag and CEO Frank Dagostino, said Thursday that she will ask Judge Gomez to vacate the judgment and, if successful, will then fight the suit. Rentas declined to say why SimDag missed the filing deadline.

For more, pick up a copy of Friday's Times or come back to tampabay.com.

I-275 driver faces vehicular homicide charge

ST. PETERSBURG -- A driver who fled police in the wrong direction on Interstate 275 on Wednesday and crashed into another car, killing a person, now faces a charge of vehicular homicide, authorities said Thursday.

Charles Hicks, 32, has also been charged with several other crimes, including fleeing and eluding, driving on a suspended or revoked license and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

About 2 a.m. Wednesday, Hicks, who was driving a Ford Escort, attempted to hit two occupied police cruisers, then led officers on a chase, police said. Police gave up their pursuit at one point, then spotted Hicks a short time later.

Hicks then drove onto the exit ramp of I-275 near 33rd Street S, where he went northbound, against oncoming traffic on the interstate, police said. Officers did not follow.

After about two miles, Hicks smashed into an oncoming 1988 maroon Toyota Camry. The crash seriously injured the driver of the Camry, 17-year-old Mary Cornell, and killed her 22-year-old brother, Steven.

Jacob H. Fries, Times staff writer

Sitter charged after baby reportedly dipped in boiling water

TAMPA -- Tampa police have accused a babysitter of intentionally burning an 18-month-old boy by placing him in boiling water, according to an arrest report.

Maggie Nicole Williams, 20, of 3538 N 20th St., is charged with aggravated child abuse. Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis described Davis as the child's babysitter.

Tampa Fire Rescue first got a call about the incident Tuesday and responded to Williams' home.

The boy had severe burns on both feet after being immersed in a bucket filled with boiling water, according to a subsequent Tampa police investigation.

Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer

Progress buys $46.6M property for Levy nuke site

Progress Energy purchased land for its proposed 1,100-megawatt nuclear power plant in Levy County, spending $46.6-million for more than 3,000 acres along U.S. 19 just north of the Citrus County border, according to the Levy County property appraiser records.

Cherie Jacobs, Progress Energy spokeswoman, confirmed the purchase but declined to comment on the price. "It is not a decision to build," she said. "It is just another step in the process."

The property was purchased from Jacksonville-based timber company Rayonier. Progress Energy has been taking early steps toward construction of a new nuclear plant, such as purchasing the property and selecting the plant model, a Westinghouse AP1000.

It is one of nearly 30 new nuclear plants planned throughout the U.S. No new nuclear plant has been built in the U.S. in nearly three decades.

Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Deputies arrest suspect in jogger's slaying

Standing with his three sons, Banh Tran, center, comforts his son John as Truong Tran, left, and P.T. Tran listen at a press conference explaining the arrest of a suspect in the murder Banh Tran's wife. [Daniel Wallace | Times]

TAMPA -- Deputies have charged a man recently released from state prison with the murder of a Seffner woman while she was out jogging.

They charged Kenneth Ray Jackson, 25, with first-degree murder in the slaying of Cuc Thu Tran (left) on Sept. 13. Her body was found in a stolen, burned van in Gibsonton. Jackson was arrested last night in Carrabelle after DNA samples found on the victim matched him.

Authorities said that the victim died of stab wounds. They said Jackson was living in the same trailer park as the victim, but they don't yet know if the two knew each other. Detectives had not identified a motive, noting that Jackson has not made any statements since being taken into custody.

Tran's husband and three sons were present at the Hillsborough sheriff's press conference to announce the arrest. Her youngest son, age 10, began to cry as a detective spoke.

Jackson (left) was released from prison July 26. In July 2003, he received a five-year prison sentence on multiple grand theft and burglary charges out of Franklin County. He's been in trouble in Hillsborough before, too. He served probation on four grand theft charges, accusing of stealing cars, records show.

Plant City manufacturer earns DOE plaudits

The U.S. Department of Energy has named 180 manufacturers "Energy Savers" or "Energy Champions." In 2006, the plants saved 13.8-trillion BTUs, a savings of $73-million, according to the department.

The roster included CF Industries of Plant City, a Florida subsidiary of the Illinois-based producer and distributor of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products.

Read the Department of Energy press release here, and see the full list of businesses here.

Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Former Florida Power CEO Joe Richardson dies

Joseph H. Richardson, formerly president and CEO of Florida Power Corp., died this morning after battling cancer, Progress Energy announced today. He was 58.

Richardson, left, joined Florida Power, now Progress Energy Florida, in 1976 as assistant counsel. He left the company a decade later, but returned in 1993 as senior vice president in charge of legal and administrative services. Three years later he was named president and chief operating officer. He was president and CEO from 1997 until 2000, when the company was purchased by a North Carolina-based utility now called Progress Energy.

After leaving Progress Energy, Richardson moved from St. Petersburg to Tampa, making brief stops at start-up companies, before being named president of Allegheny Power in Pennsylvania in 2003. In 2006, he was named chief operating officer of generation for Allegheny Energy, the utility's parent company.

Richardson received a bachelor's degree in economics from Cornell University and a law degree from Florida State University.

He is survived by his wife, Karen, three grown children and their families. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Pitbulls, steroids and pot lead to man's arrest

TAMPA -- After leaving the bloody scene of a fight between loose dogs on Tuesday, investigators with the Hillsborough County Animal Services returned the next day to Raymond Doerfler's home with a warrant.

Among their findings: overgrown pitbull terriers, steroids and marijuana plants being grown inside a trailer, said animal services spokeswoman Marti Ryan.

Doerfler, 45, runs a Web site touting dogs that are "bred for heavy substance, bone, mass, and XL head size."

Ryan said Doerfler denied any involvement in dogfighting, but added "clearly, these animals were an investment."

Animal services were called to Doerfler's property, 8116 River Shore Drive, on Tuesday after getting word of a fight between two dogs that escaped from an elaborate kennel system. Ryan said a 1-year-old pitbull, Sky, died in an animal services van on the way to a shelter.

Seven more dogs were recovered when investigators returned on Wednesday. One of them, a pitbull named Mocha, 4, has visible wounds, damage to her ears and can't stop shaking her head.

"He loved the investment more than he probably loved his dogs," Ryan said.

Dukes pleads no contest in pot case

TAMPA -- Former Devil Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes pleaded no contest in Hillsborough County Court today to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.

County Judge John Conrad withheld adjudication in the case, and sentenced him to one year probation and 50 hours of community service, plus drug testing.

Dukes was charged with marijuana possession after he was pulled over by Tampa police Jan. 15 in Ybor City. A drug-sniffing dog reacted to his car, and authorities said a search revealed a bag with about 2 grams of the drug in a center console.

Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Allegations against Bryan detailed in report

Excerpt of John Bryan's suicide note. Inset: John Bryan [St. Petersburg Police Department]

ST. PETERSBURG -– John Bryan's 15-year-old adopted daughter was in line at the Atlanta airport this summer when she uttered the fateful words: Dad "touched me.''

That revelation from one adopted daughter to another unlocked a dark legacy of sexual coercion and abuse that would destroy the public image of Bryan, then the City Council chairman. The allegations would stun a city, fracture a family and lead to Bryan’s suicide in his Floral City home Sept. 7 as he faced a police investigation.

Police this afternoon released a detailed report of their investigation into Bryan. The report concludes that if Bryan had not killed himself, he would have faced two felony charges of lewd and lascivious molestation, based on allegations that he fondled his 15-year-old adopted daughter.

Police redacted the report to shield the identities of possible victims, but a court spokesman has identified the girls involved as Bryan’s adopted daughters, ages 12, 15, and 38.

FBI report details search of USF students' car

TAMPA -- The discovery of a 12-minute video discussing a remote-controlled bomb and a laptop hard drive with information about explosives are detailed in an FBI affidavit filed this week in a federal case against two suspended University of South Florida students.

It also gives insight into a secretly recorded conversation the men had in Arabic as they were in a deputy's cruiser.

FBI Special Agent Daniel J. McTavish says in a report, filed Tuesday in South Carolina federal court, that the video had been uploaded to YouTube from a laptop computer belonging to Ahmed Mohamed.

Mohamed, 26, and Youssef Megahed, 21, are in Hillsborough County jail awaiting trial on federal charges of carrying explosives.

Raid on gambling parlor nets $800,000 in gaming machines

Hillsborough Sheriff's detectives load one of more than 100 video gambling machines from Action Gaming, located inside a strip mall along Florida Avenue. [Casey Cora | Times]

TAMPA -- Hillsborough sheriff's detectives concluded a four-month undercover investigation this afternoon by seizing more than $800,000 worth video gaming equipment from a gambling operation.

Deputies said the manager of the casino, John Zilba, 65, was arrested in connection with the operation of the makeshift casino, which is tucked inside a strip mall at 14839 Florida Ave.

Detectives said the gaming parlor had been operating since June. Investigators learned of the place shortly after, when a woman complained to the Sheriff's Office that she had been "ripped off" by the gambling machines, said Master Sgt. Bruce Woodbury.

Police: Bollea crash investigation will take another month

CLEARWATER -- The investigation into a crash involving Nick Bollea, the son of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, is expected to take another month, police said today.

Clearwater police crash investigators are working with the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, which is reviewing evidence gathered by the agency. The investigation is not expected to be finished until early November, and police said they anticipate releasing no further information until then, according to Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor.

Bollea, 17, was at the wheel of a yellow Toyota Supra that went out of control on Court Street and smashed, rear-end first, into a palm tree on Aug. 26. Bollea suffered a broken arm in the wreck, and his passenger, John Graziano, 22, was critically injured.

Police have said speed was a factor in the crash and have interviewed the driver of a silver Dodge Viper at the scene. Witnesses have said they saw the Supra and Viper racing moments before the crash.

Largo women arrested after overheated dog dies

LARGO -- Two Largo women were charged with animal cruelty Wednesday after police said they left their dogs out in the sun for two hours without water or shelter.

One of the dogs, a dachshund named Samson, died. The other dog, a Pomeranian, suffered from dehydration and exposure. The incident happened late Wednesday morning.

Police say Shannon Nichols, left, and Rachelle Jamison, both 22, left the dogs in a small crate outside their home at 1676 Whispering Drive.

Nichols and Jamison each were called during the day and told that the dogs were in distress but neither returned home, according to police. The two women were called a second time and told that one of the dogs had died.

Nichols and Jamison, left, each were charged with one count of animal cruelty involving death and another count of animal cruelty.

Each was being held today in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $11,000 bail.

A necropsy will be performed on the dead dachshund. The Pomeranian has been removed to safe custody.

Photos courtesy of Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Tourism agency's new name: Tampa Bay & Co.

The tourism marketing agency for Hillsborough County has a new name: Tampa Bay & Co. The name comes from an extensive rebranding project to refresh the image of the organization formerly known as the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau. The new name and slogan, "Economic Development Though Tourism,'' will make a "lasting impression on the local community,'' according to the organization's Web site. "It's important that Tampa Bay residents know who we are and what our purpose is,'' says Paul Catoe, the agency's CEO, in a statement on the site.

Deputies identify scooter driver in fatal crash

TAMPA -- Deputies have released the identity of a man killed Wednesday when a car crashed into his scooter.

Robert Jeff Baughman, 49, of 12004 Stepping Stone Blvd. in Tampa, died after he was struck by a car driven by 16-year-old John Holland Jr., according to the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office. No charges have been filed in the accident, but the investigation is continuing.

Authorities said the car driven by Holland crossed the center line of Countryway Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon and struck Baughman. The car then continued into a pond. Holland and his passenger, Trevor Ekovich, 16, escaped injury.

Wal-Mart expands its drug program

Wal-Mart Stores this morning said it is expanding its popular $4 prescription drug program so it will cover more than 90 percent of commonly treated ailments.

Phase 2 will include 24 new $4 prescriptions, including timolol maleate (glaucoma), terbinafine (antifungal), carvedilol (cardiac) and three $9 women’s medications, including the generic birth control product for Ortho Cyclen® and Ortho Tri-Cyclen®, and a fertility product, Clomiphene. The full list is available here.

Wal-Mart launched the pilot drug program in Tampa on Sept. 21, 2006, and expanded it to 49 states by November. The company said the program has saved Americans more than $610-million in its first year.

Jeff Harrington, Times staff writer

A couple's argument over money turns deadly

PALM RIVER  -- Authorities this morning identified a married couple whose argument over finances they say turned deadly Wednesday.

Investigators say Maria Diaz, 30, and and her husband, Carmello Badillo, 31, were arguing about 4 p.m. Wednesday in the kitchen of a home at 7017 Glen Cove Drive about money and the fact that he doesn't work.

With their two children at home, Badillo got a .380-caliber handgun from a bedroom, returned to the kitchen and fatally shot his wife four times, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office news release.

Badillo then fired a bullet into his head. He survived but is in extremely critical condition at Tampa General Hospital, the release states.

The couple's two children, a 5-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son, ran to a neighbor's home.

The children were turned over to child welfare workers. Investigators say they have contacted the children's biological father in California, who is arranging to come here.

Officials say Diaz and Badillo had been married a year.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Land O'Lakes woman in jail for drugs tucked in her bra 26 years ago

LAND O'LAKES -- Gloria Drought went to visit her husband in prison 26 years ago and thought she'd take him a little present tucked inside her bra. It's come back to haunt her.

'The walker' inches toward recovery

WEEKI WACHEE -- He can move a couple fingers on his right hand. But so far, the left side of John Kelly's body seems to be paralyzed.

Meanwhile, his family prepares for a long, expensive road to recovery. Nearly all the bones in Kelly's face were crushed and the back of his skull was bashed in, his brother said.

Read more about Kelly's recovery from a brutal beating in Thursday's St. Petersburg Times.

Homeowner sued after boy drowns in pool

BAYONET POINT -- The mother of a 17-month-old boy who drowned in a swimming pool last month has sued the homeowner, alleging that the child was not properly supervised. Read more in today's St. Petersburg Times.

FSU: Athletes given test answers

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State University has notified the NCAA of academic violations involving 23 student athletes in nine sports after a six-month investigation into academic improprieties. Read more in today's St. Petersburg Times.

Bus, 2 vehicles involved in crash

DURANT -- Two vehicles and a Hillsborough County school bus were involved in a crash this morning in an unincorporated part of the county, Fire Rescue officials say. The crash occurred just after 6:50 a.m. near the intersection of Durant and Yukon roads. Officials with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office say no injuries were reported to students on the bus, which was headed to Durant High School.

It is unclear what caused the crash. School spokeswoman  Linda Cobbe said an SUV, believed to be carrying two Durant students, flipped. One occupant was taken to a local hospital for nonlife-threatening injuries, Cobbe said.

Hillsborough deputies discover apparent murder-suicide

TAMPA -- Hillsborough County deputies responded to a shooting reported around 4 p.m. at 7017 Glen Cove Drive and found what they described as an attempted murder-suicide -- the body of a woman presumably shot by her husband, who then apparently shot himself.

At the time of the shooting their two children, ages 5 and 8, were inside the residence and ran to a neighbor's home.

The husband was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. The children are in protective custody.

By around 6 p.m., sheriff's detectives were in the process of obtaining a search warrant to enter the residence.

USF Africana Studies chairman dies

Staff writer Kevin Graham is writing for Thursday's St. Petersburg Times:

TAMPA -- University of South Florida professor Trevor Purcell had the kind of smile that "could steal any heart," say colleagues who knew him.

"Whenever you met him, you met his smile first," said James Tokley, an adjunct professor in USF's Africana Studies department, where Purcell had served as chairman since 2000. "He had a Caribbean sense of humor and a smile that could melt glaziers."

Purcell died this week of undisclosed causes. He was 62.

A statement on the school's Web site from USF President Judy Genshaft said that news about his death spread Tuesday, leaving the campus "stunned."

"He was well respected and admired throughout the university," Genshaft said. "He was soft-spoken, a great scholar, and he deeply enjoyed his work and most of all, he enjoyed people."

University officials said details on a memorial service will be announced later. For more, pick up a copy of the Times or return to tampabay.com on Thursday.

Fire destroys WestShore escalator, closes JCPenney store temporarily

TAMPA -- A fire in the escalator at JCPenney in WestShore Plaza broke out around 3:30 p.m. today, forcing an evacuation and closing, Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Bill Wade said.

Firefighters responded to a call about smoke in the building, and found a fire inside a wall near the top of the escalator. It was under control within 30 minutes, Wade said.

About 30 customers and 50 employees evacuated from the store during the incident. There were no injuries, but the store has been closed for the time being. It wasn't known Wednesday evening when it would reopen.

Damage to the escalator was estimated at $2,000, but fire officials noted there was a lot of smoke in the building and said smoke damage to merchandise in the store could increase the loss. The rest of the mall was unaffected.

New trial sought by a former Special Operations Command contractor

TAMPA -- Tom Spellissy, the retired Army colonel and former contractor with Special Operations Command in Tampa who was convicted of conspiracy in U.S. District Court, has filed motions seeking a new trial and stay of his 15-month prison sentence.

Spellissy's attorney argues that the defense has uncovered new evidence that a senior military officer persuaded or ordered a key witness not to honor a subpoena to appear at the trial, and that the witness would have backed other defense testimony that "no bribery or conspiracy existed.'' This action by the government constitutes witness tampering by the government, defense attorney Sean P. Cox wrote.

The motion also says that Spellissy passed a polygraph test, and a former co-defendant who testified in Spellissy's trial was later found guilty of perjury.

In his 2006 trial, federal prosecutors accused Spellissy of paying $4,500 in bribes to another SOCOM private contractor. The jury found him guilty of bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy, but the judge tossed out most of the jury's verdict.

Retired cop charged with possessing child porn

ST. PETERSBURG –- Deputies arrested a retired New Jersey police officer Wednesday on a charge that he possessed child pornography.

Peter F. Kochen, 62, who lives in St. Petersburg, faces one count of sexual performance by a minor.

Detectives opened an investigation in May after receiving a tip. Later, when confronted, Kochen told investigators he owned a VHS videotape containing child pornography that he bought from an overseas source, officials said.

Kochen, a retired officer from Plainfield, N.J., was released from the Pinellas County Jail after posting $5,000 bail.

Jacob H. Fries, Times staff writer

Florida, Tampa Bay economic growth strong but slowing

The Tampa Bay economy grew at nearly twice the national rate during the heady days of 2005. The gross domestic product, or GDP, hit $91.4-billion, making it about the size of the economy of Peru.

The federal government’s Bureau of Economic Analysis on Wednesday issued its first-ever report on GDP by metro area and Florida’s came out looking like national stars.

The Palm Coast area in Flagler County on Florida’s east coast was the fastest growing area in the entire country, up 19 percent from 2004 to 2005. The Tampa Bay metro area grew 5.5 percent, but that was good enough for 59th place out of 363 areas.

Since then, things have slowed considerably. In fact, the bureau’s own state GDP numbers, which came out in June, show Florida’s economy went from a 6.7 percent growth rate in 2005 -- second best in the nation -- to 4.2 percent in 2006, moving it down to 12th place. When the 2006 numbers are available for metro areas, they are expected to show a similar decline. And 2007 is shaping up as slower than 2006.

How did some of Florida’s other larger metro areas fare? Miami/Fort Lauderdale ranked 37th, Orlando ranked 19th and Sarasota-Bradenton ranked 14th, while Jacksonville ranked 137th and Tallahassee ranked 175th. Find the whole report here.

Former St. Pete exec sentenced to 20 years in stock scam

The top executive of a defunct St. Petersburg company has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on securities fraud and money laundering charges for a penny stock swindle he helped orchestra in TeleServices Internet Group Inc.

Robert P. Gordon, 57, who claims he doesn’t have the cash, next faces a hearing before U.S. District Judge Jerome Simandle when prosecutors will ask he forfeit any rights to $15.1-million he allegedly bilked from investors in the stock manipulation scheme between 1996 and 2001. Eight others convicted in the case being heard in Camden, N.J., face sentencing in November.

Mark Albright, Times staff writer

Largo wants to turn grease into fuel

LARGO -- This North Pinellas city hopes to kick off a program in December to recycle cooking oil and grease into biodiesel fuel.

"If we can get people to stop pouring grease down the drain, we could decrease the cost of cleaning lines significantly,'' said Irvin Kety, the city's environmental services director. Besides, Kety said, "recyling helps the environment."

Under the proposal, the city would establish a drop-off point where residents could turn in their cooking grease. From there, a private contractor would convert it into fuel that could run a car or truck that's been modified to burn the stuff.

City workers spend a quarter of their time cleaning up grease from sewer lines. And they have horror stories to tell.

"People think, if you pour hot water down with the grease, it won't cause any problems,'' said Rob McMath, who supervises crews that clean and monitor lines. "It's all lies.''

Lorri Helfand, Times staff writer

Alonso student crashes with scooter, killing one man

TAMPA -- A man died after an Alonso High student lost control of his vehicle and crashed with a scooter.

The accident happened at 3:17 p.m. at Countryway Blvd just south of Woodbay Drive.

John Holland Jr., 16, of Tampa was traveling northbound on Countryway Boulevard when, for unknown reasons, he veered into the southbound lane, struck a man on a scooter, then plunged into a pond.

Both Holland and passenger Trevor Ekovich, 16, also an Alonso student, according to a sheriff's spokeswoman, escaped the vehicle unharmed.

The Hillsborough sheriff's office did not release the name of the man on the scooter, pending notification of next of kin.

Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer

Expanded Hard Rock Casino opens Thursday

Workers are putting the finishing touches on an expansion of Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Casino in preparation for a noon Thursday opening. The $120-million project adds 50 percent more gaming floor area and 980 new machines, making the complex Florida's largest casino with nearly 2,100 video bingo machines.

The new wing also includes top-shelf steakhouse Council Oaks and the "WonderWall," a curved 29-by-10.5-foot Plexiglas video projection screen behind a waterfall. The rest of the casino expansion is scheduled to open Nov. 15. It will include "live-action kitchens" called Fresh Harvest, a VIP lounge and high-stakes gaming area.

Steve Huettel, Times staff writer

Car fleeing cops kills passenger in oncoming vehicle on I-275

ST. PETERSBURG -- One man is dead and three people seriously injured after an early-morning pursuit by St. Petersburg police ended with an accident on Interstate 275.

Steven Cornell, 22, was killed when a Ford Escort headed the wrong way in the southbound lanes of I-275 struck the car in which he was riding. Cornell was a passenger in a car driven by his sister, 17-year-old Mary Cornell.

Police said the crash occurred after a series of aggravated assault attempts in which the driver of the 1996 Ford, identified by police as Charles Hicks, 32, 1028 15th Ave. S., twice targeted St. Petersburg police cars.

Hicks, left, faces a minimum of two counts of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, police said.

FPL to spend $2.4-billion on solar energy

Florida's biggest utility will spend $2.4-billion on major solar-energy projects, former president Bill Clinton announced at today’s session of the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.

Clinton, a Democrat, made the announcement along with Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and Lew Hay, the CEO of FPL Group, which runs Florida Power & Light.

FPL said it is launching three initiatives:

• Investment of up to $1.5-billion in new solar thermal generating facilities in Florida and California over the next seven years, starting with a project at Florida Power & Light.
• Investment of up to $500-million by FPL to create a smart network that will provide its 4.5-million customers with enhanced energy management capabilities.
• The launch by FPL Energy of a new consumer education program and new products that could increase renewable energy resources by at least $400-million over the first five years of the program.

FPL is working with a California startup called Ausra Inc. "FPL is planning to build 300 megawatts of solar generating capacity in Florida using Ausra Inc.'s solar thermal technology,'' the company announced. "According to estimates, this new facility will avoid nearly 11-million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over a 20-year period. As a first step, FPL expects to construct a 10-megawatt project. Subject to Ausra meeting agreed-upon cost and technical specifications, as well as FPL gaining regulatory and related approvals, the utility will expand the project to a 300-megawatt facility."

For the full FPL announcement, click here.

Craig Pittman, Times staff writer

Charges dropped against Serbian immigrant

TAMPA -- Federal prosecutors filed a motion this morning to dismiss charges against Branko Popic, accused of lying on immigration forms about his involvement in the Serbian military.

"The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida hereby dismisses the indictment which is pending against defendant Branko Popic," read the motion filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Hansen.

Popic, 59, was the first Serb to be tried in Tampa federal court as part of a sweep by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department to find soldiers involved in the massacre of Srebenica. The local defendants, all of whom live in St. Petersburg, aren't accused of direct participation in war crimes but prosecutors say they may have served in units that were involved.

None of the men to stand trial so far has been convicted.

Two previous trials for Popic ended with hung juries.

One jury split 11-1 for conviction. A second jury split 11-1 for a not guilty verdict.

Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Police: 82-year-old man shoves 94-year-old girlfriend

NEW PORT RICHEY -- An 82-year-old man went to jail Tuesday afternoon after he shoved his 94-year-old live-in girlfriend, authorities said. The trigger, according to an incident report: She was yelling at him because he painted her house with the wrong paint.

Israel Podolsky, 82, of 8014 Cedar Creek Drive, New Port Richey, was charged with simple battery and felony domestic battery. He was was held without bail this morning at the Land O'Lakes jail.

Thomas Lake, Times staff writer

Man shoots, stops burglar

ST. PETERSBURG -- Derrick Pittis was watching television in his home about 10 p.m. Tuesday when he heard the garage door slam. He went to check out the noise and grew worried because of a recent rash of home invasions in the city that ended in murder.

So Pittis, 27, got his semiautomatic handgun and went to a bedroom door that leads to the garage of his home at 1710 13th Avenue N. He fired through the door. On the other side, police said, was 23 year-old Tarvaris Johnson. Johnson was hit twice in the upper body but managed to flee before ending up at St. Anthony's Hospital. He left a .38-caliber revolver at the scene.

Johnson faces a charge of home invasion, police said. Two people have been killed in home invasions in recent weeks.

Pittis said he just got his handgun recently. He was still shaken from the incident this morning.

"I've never been through anything like this before," he said. "I just remembered what I heard about all that's happening on the streets and I didn't want it happening to me."

Abhi Raghunathan, Times staff writer

Fight outside motel door leads to shooting

TAMPA -- Carlton K. Gay told police he was expecting "female company" at his motel room when he responded to a knock at the door.

Moments later, two gunshots pierced his body.

Police are now looking for two people in connection with the early morning shooting.

The incident started just before 4 a.m., when Gay, 29, opened the door to his Jayhawk Motel room to find a heavy-set woman dressed in a matching orange shirt and pants set.

As soon as the motel door swung open, police said the woman ran to the passenger side of a nearby parked car. That's when, police said, a man exited the driver's side of the car and demanded money from Gay.

The two started fighting and Gay was shot in the chest and stomach. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital.

Police said the shooter ran away. The car, believed to be a black Nissan, drove out of the parking lot of the motel, located at 3415 N Nebraska Ave.

The woman is described as a black female between 25 and 30 years old, about 5 feet 7 and weighing 170 pounds. She had a pony tail down to her lower neck.

Police described the man as a black male, believed to be 30 to 35 years old. Police think he is 6 feet 1 and about 180 pounds. He has a dark complexion, a short haircut and a thin manicured beard. He was last seen wearing baggy, stonewashed jean shorts, white socks and a black hooded sweatshirt.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Fire at oil warehouse causes $2-million in damage

TAMPA -- A fire broke out at a large bulk oil storage warehouse early this morning, bringing dozens of emergency responders to the Port of Tampa. It caused nearly $2-million in damage, officials said.

The fire started around 1 a.m. at the Amalie Oil Company, where site managers oversee large amounts of motor oil typically destined for automotive purposes.

Fire officials say about 30 people had been working at the facility when the fire broke out around 1 a.m.

No serious injuries were reported.

Fire officials say motor oils, coolants and brake fluids are k