AirTran names new CEO: Fornaro

Robert Fornaro, who directed the rapid growth of discounter AirTran Airways as president, was named the airline's chief executive officer Wednesday.

Fornaro, 54, succeeds Joe Leonard, AirTran's chairman and CEO for the last eight years. Leonard will remain chairman of the company headquartered in Orlando.

When the two airline veterans arrived in 1999, AirTran was in financial shambles. They bought new Boeing jets to replace aging DC-9s and kept a tight rein on expenses.

AirTran's fleet has grown more than three-fold to 137 jets. Annual revenues, $450-million in 1998, are expected to hit $2.4-billion this year. AirTran has been profitable every year since 1999.

"We've gone from a troubled, weak airline with a poor image to one with quality that's very high," Fornaro said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Steve Huettel, Times staff writer

'Fake dentist' used dead man's ID, cops say

A man in Hollywood used a dead dentist's identity to pass himself off as a dentist and join a dental practice, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel  reports. The man treated patients and answered to the name of the dead man until state health inspectors showed up, then  he confessed to knowing the doctor and stealing his identity, authorities said.

Woman helped new lover kill old one, cops say

A Miami woman who once had her lover's name tattooed on her neck has been accused of helping her new lover murder the old one, the Miami Herald reports. The old boyfriend was recently released from jail and wanted to get back with the woman who is mother of several of his children. She had a new boyfriend -- but she still had the old boyfriend's name tattooed on her neck.

Hillsborough deputy resigns under investigation

TAMPA -- A Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy under investigation for using excessive force resigned last month, the Sheriff's Office said.

Deputy Christopher McCullough, 26, was accused of striking a man he arrested on the head with handcuffs several times on July 8, the Sheriff's Office said. The blows caused numerous cuts to the suspect, Larry Norman.

After Norman was handcuffed with help from someone riding with McCullough, McCullough punched him in the head, the Sheriff's Office said. Norman, 22, was arrested on charges of driving without a valid license and obstructing an officer without violence, according to jail records.

Authorities began their internal affairs investigation after the use of force was flagged during a standard review. A Sheriff's report also said McCullough failed to get proper authorization for the ride-along. He resigned October 10.

McCullough had two and a half years of experience with the Sheriff's Office and a clean record. He worked as a patrol deputy.

Ahbi Raghunathan, Times staff writer

Home invasion in New Tampa

TAMPA -- Hillsborough deputies are investigating a home invasion robbery at 18303 Big Pond Way in the Pebble Creek subdivision of New Tampa.

About 2:15 p.m., a 17-year-old male juvenile was home alone when he heard a knock at the door. He answered the door to find a man asking for someone who didn't live there. The teen was closing the door when he saw a second man armed with a shotgun approaching the front door, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The teen was able to close the door and run to a back bedroom where he called his father. The two strangers kicked in the front door and were removing a television set when the teen's father arrived home. The two robbers fled on foot south on nearby Regents Park Drive. They dropped the TV set about a block from the home, deputies said. They had not been found as of late this afternoon.

The two suspects were described as 17- to 18-years-old, possibly Hispanic, one with a dark complexion, the other with a medium complexion, both 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10, and 150-170 pounds. The one who was armed with a shotgun had a long ponytail, deputies said.

Times staff writer

Governor promotes tax cut plan in Tampa

TAMPA -- Gov. Charlie Crist today used a family of four cramped in a two-bedroom house in South Tampa to promote the property tax cut plan the Legislature passed this week that would save taxpayers $12.4-billion over five years.

"I want you to appreciate how good this thing is," Crist said on the lawn of the family's home.

The benefit Crist highlighted the most was the tax proposal's "portability" clause, which would allow homeowners to take their Save Our Homes tax break with them when they move.

Crist said the change will fire up Florida's moribund real estate market, turning the state's economy into the "thoroughbred it is" by encouraging home purchases. He used a blue marker to sign a resolution backing the plan before local legislators, government officials and TV cameras.

It was all for show, however, because constitutional amendments passed by the Legislature go straight to the ballot without the governor's signature.

Florida voters get the final say in January.

Watch a video of Crist signing the resolution here.

Justin George, Times staff writer

State seeks foster care bids for Pinellas and Pasco

The state is "leaning toward" seeking new bids for foster care services in Pinellas and Pasco counties, rather than automatically extending its contract with the Sarasota Family YMCA, a state official said today.

Earlier, a top Sarasota YMCA official said a decision to do so had already been made.

That is not the case, said George Sheldon, assistant secretary for the state Department of Children and Families, although DCF Secretary Bob Butterworth is leaning in that direction.

Sarasota Family YMCA president and chief executive Carl Weinrich has said that his agency would bid for the contract again, if necessary.

A state review called for serious and immediate steps to be taken to stabilize the foster care system in Pinellas County.

The review's report said the system suffers from high turnover among case workers, large case loads and a sense of crisis among front-line workers.

The review team was created because of a perception that the Sarasota YMCA had become a highly paid but poorly performing agency that had recently made serious mistakes in its handling of two foster children, one of whom died and another who disappeared.

Melanie Ave, Times staff writer

HSN comeback gains traction

In the first quarter since launching a new on-air look for its 30th birthday, HSN on Wednesday reported an uptick in sales.

The network reported a sales gain of 5 percent for the quarter, which officials at parent IAC/InterActiveCorp said was evidence of a turnaround taking root. The sales gain was 2 percent if the comparison reflected sales of America's Store, HSN's second network which was closed down last spring.

Former Nike executive and HSN's new chief executive Mindy Grossman "and her team have now become acclimated and are beginning to demonstrate the great retailing smarts we knew they were capable of,'' said Barry Diller, IAC Chairman. IAC reported net income of $72-million, or 24 cents a share, down from $75-million, or 24 cents a share, a year ago.

Mark Albright, Times staff writer

Chemoween teaches ghoulish chemistry

Jefferson High School chemistry teachers Alina Mills, 46, right, and Heather Costa, 30, light a soap bubble filled with methane during Chemoween, a special chemistry class filled with ghoulish and exploding experiments to celebrate Halloween. The teachers acted out scary skits as they explained fascinating mixtures and reactions. [John Pendygraft | Times]

We working stiffs are still unhappy

The good news: Tampa's worker confidence has halted its free fall.

The bad news: We're still ranked dead last in the Hudson Employment Index's monthly measurement of employee happiness. The latest data, released today, takes the pulse of workers in 11 major cities.

For theories on why the area's workers are getting so disillusioned, read Sunday's story in Working.

Christina Rexrode, Times staff writer

Tampa Bay area new home sales still hurting

New single-family home starts in the third quarter of this year in the Tampa Bay area were down 56.6 percent from the same period last year.

Starts numbered 1,732 from July 1 to Sept. 30 this year, versus 3,993 during the same months of 2006.

The Wednesday housing report by the firm Metrostudy contained some potentially decent news: New home inventory shrunk by 524 homes, and supply and demand could reach equilibrium in about a year.

James Thorner, Times staff writer

Blood on car leads to hit-and-run suspect

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Ten days after someone ran over a teenage boy and then drove away, a woman was arrested Tuesday, authorities said. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the boy's blood, hair and skin were found on her car's undercarriage.

About 9 p.m Oct. 21, Michael Mauritzen was walking south along Thys Road in New Port Richey when he was clipped by the side-view mirror of a passing minivan. Mauritzen, 16, of 7202 Adare Drive, New Port Richey, was knocked to the ground. After that, a Ford Taurus ran over him and kept driving.

Mauritzen was airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center in critical condition. He remained there today, listed in serious condition.

Witnesses recalled some of the characters on the Taurus' license plate, according to FHP Trooper Larry Coggins Jr. Crime analysts from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office ran through several combinations and came up with a possible match: a Taurus driven by Karen D. Kucharczyk, 42, (above left) of 6737 Albemarle Parkway, New Port Richey.

The FHP seized the vehicle and found blood, hair and skin on its undercarriage.

Kucharczyk turned herself in Wednesday at the Land O'Lakes jail to face a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury. She was held in lieu of $5,000 bail.

The minivan that knocked down Mauritzen did not stop either, Coggins said. Its driver could face a charge as well. It may be missing a side-view mirror.

-Thomas Lake, Times staff writer

Tonight's forecast? Treats, with a chance for tricks

At breezy and mild, tonight's Halloween forecast calls for mostly treats. But don't count out a few tricky sprinkles.

High humidity might produce a few raindrops, but they won't last long, said Bay News 9 meteorologist Mike Clay. Temperatures are expected anywhere from 75 to 80 degrees.

Sunset is approximately 6:40 p.m.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Tampa man charged in molestation, child porn case

TALLAHASSEE -- State investigators arrested a Tampa man Tuesday after they say he videotaped himself molesting a minor to create child pornography.

Trent Cox, 43, left, is being held at the Hillsborough County jail in lieu of $57,500 bail. He is charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography, one count of the use of a child in a sexual performance, one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor.

The identity of the victim is being withheld.

Cox, 2609 E 98th Ave., was initially arrested in March 2007 after the Attorney General's Office CyberCrime unit detected child pornography on his computer. He was booked into jail on possession of child pornography charges, but bailed out, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Charges stemming from that arrest are pending.

Tuesday's arrest stemmed from an eight month-investigation into content on Cox's computer, which contained images of child pornography created by Cox.

If convicted of all charges, Cox faces up to 70 years in prison.

"We will continue to protect victims of sexual abuse, especially those whose abuse is forever memorialized by child pornography," Attorney General Bill McCollum said in a statement.

-Casey Cora, Times staff writer

School bus driver accused of spanking student

SPRING HILL -- A Hernando County bus driver has been arrested and accused of spanking a 3-year-old student on a school bus.

Bus driver Christopher O'Brien, 47, (left) faces a battery charge after a sibling on the bus witnessed the incident and told their mother, who then called the Sheriff's Office, authorities said.

The incident occurred Oct. 5 on bus number 22, bound for J.D. Floyd Elementary School in Spring Hill where the toddler attends a special program. At a bus stop, O'Brien reportedly slapped the girl on the right thigh one time after she refused to get into her seat, reports state.

A video camera on the bus captured the scene. Just before hitting the girl, according to the arrest report, O'Brien is heard saying: "You're going to get a spanking right now. Do you understand me?"

During an interview with investigators, O'Brien denied making the statement and slapping the child.

-John Frank, Times staff writer

Pasco: Man killed by car on U.S. 19

NEW PORT RICHEY -- A man was killed about 11:20 this morning when he stepped in front of a car on U.S. 19, police said.

A dark green Pontiac Bonneville was going north toward the Cotee River bridge when it collided with the man, sending a trail of debris across the highway. The impact fractured the car's windshield and bent its upper frame. The driver was transported to a local hospital. Neither name was immediately released.

The crash appears to have been caused by the pedestrian, said Assistant Chief Darryl Garman of the New Port Richey Police Department.

"He just darted into traffic," Garman said.

The crash forced police to divert northbound traffic on U.S. 19 to a pothole-ridden side street. Afterward, the empty car was parked beside the highway, next to a still form under a white sheet with a red stain. One black sneaker lay in the road. Another was in the grass, perhaps 15 yards away.

-Thomas Lake, Times staff writer

Stolen gun sting nets more than 200 guns, arrests

Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee holds a press conference Wednesday, touting the success of an undercover sting operation to find illegal firearms. [Times | Daniel Wallace]

TAMPA -- Surrounded by federal agents and two undercover detectives, Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee announced this morning the results of a yearlong sting that netted hundreds of illegally sold firearms.

Officials said more than 200 people were arrested in connection with selling guns, many of them stolen during burglaries, to undercover detectives posing as clerks at a store called D.A.G. Electronics.

"It proved to be a very successful venture in many ways," Gee said. "Hopefully we will put a dent in some of this violent crime."

The sting, conducted in a storefront on the 12000 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., was the largest of its kind in nearly 20 years, Gee said. Undercover deputies purchased hunting rifles, pocket-size revolvers, shotguns, assault weapons, and "just about everything you can think of," Gee said. Most of the guns were loaded when they were brought into the store.

Among the highlights of the 13-month sting?

* Two assault rifles and a tactical rifle stolen from a Pasco deputy's car.
* A purchase of 24 guns linked to a recent 52-gun heist in Tampa.
* A firearm sold to deputies by a man who was out of jail just two hours.

Deputies also purchased stolen boats, trailers, trucks, electronics and drugs.

Gee said it would be hard to measure the long-term effectiveness of the operation but said most of the arrested are repeat felons, and about 70 were certified gang members or gang affiliates. More than 2,300 charges have resulted.

"We're trying to create jeopardy," Gee said.  "You never know who you're selling to."

-Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Hillsborough man guilty in two stabbing deaths

TAMPA -- A Hillsborough jury found Khalid Ali Pasha guilty of two counts of first-degree murder this morning, after less than two hours of deliberation.

Prosecutors will ask the jury to consider next whether Pasha, 64, should get the death penalty for the killings.

Pasha was accused of killing his new wife and her adult daughter on Aug. 23, 2002. Investigators found Robin Canady, 43, and Ranesha Singleton, 20, stabbed to death in a cul-de-sac in the Woodlands Corporate Center on Waters Avenue, west of Dale Mabry Highway.

Witnesses saw a man wearing a bloody white hazmat suit walking into the woods, then saw a man walk out in only a T-shirt and pants. But investigators said they found the hazmat suit in Pasha's van and the victims' blood on his other clothes.

The conviction means Pasha is guaranteed at least a life prison sentence with no parole.

-Times staff writer

Serious accident closes Taylor Road in Seffner

SEFFNER -- Taylor Road is shut down after a serious accident just north of Hillsborough Avenue.

Please return to tampabay.com for updates.

Arrest made in Tampa cold case death

TAMPA -- Working off a tip, police this morning said they closed a cold case involving the disappearance and suspected death of Kimberly Lashawn Mack, who has been missing since May 2000.

David Eugene Lee, 38 and Mack's former boyfriend, was arrested in connection with her killing. 

Incarcerated in a state prison in Pollock, La., Lee told a Tampa police detective Friday that he killed Mack, 27, and buried her body in Ruskin.

The arrest concludes a yearlong investigation by detectives in the department's cold case unit. Lee's brother recently told investigators that Mack, of 8109 N Alaska St., was in fact dead and her body was buried in a remote area in Ruskin. Police said several previous attempts to find the body had been unsuccessful.

Police said a warrant for manslaughter by culpable negligence has been secured, and Lee will be brought back to Hillsborough County, where he will be formally charged.

-Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Family handout photo of  Kimberly Mack
Booking photo of David Lee courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Body recovered in Belleair identified

BELLEAIR –- The body of a 60-year-old man was recovered from the waters near a private boat slip Tuesday.

Police believe the man, identified as Solomon Minc, suffered a heart attack or other medical condition while aboard his 45-foot yacht, then fell overboard.

A fisherman walking to his boat near the Seaside Condominiums discovered the body just after 5:40 p.m., said Officer Rollin Lightfield. It is unclear how long Minc had been in the water.

The exact cause of death has not been determined.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Reader poll: Crystal River tavern's display

Halloween decor, or racism?
What do you think of the hanging body in the Halloween display outside the tavern in Crystal River?
It's a bad idea, but not racist.
It's a Halloween decoration, nothing more.
It's clearly racist.

A mannequin hangs by a noose next to a disembodied torso outside Softails Tavern near Crystal River. The display has brought at least six complaints to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. Click photo to enlarge. [Ron Thompson | Times]

Target recruits UT biz students

Do you think of Target first when it comes to food? The Minneapolis-based retailer wishes you would.

The chain, which has more than 1,500 stores in 47 states, has turned to University of Tampa students for help. Target has opened a competition  for students taking a class called "Practical Strategic Assessment" at Sykes College of Business. Target wants to increase food sales at their SuperTarget stores, and figure out how to recruit the best workers. The UT students will brainstorm solutions, and Target will pick the best proposal on Dec. 7.

"The competition allows students to get real world experience dealing with strategic thinking in a competitive marketplace," said Dr. Jody Tompson, professor at UT's Naimoli Institute for Business Strategy. "And at the same time Target gets some fresh, out of the box solutions to real world problems."

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

STUDY: Energy costs beat food, health care

As if the housing news wasn’t bad enough, consumers will likely face higher energy costs in the coming season, said Consumer Federation of America on Tuesday.

“No Time to Waste”, the report by the Washington, D.C. non-profit, warned that home heating prices are on the rise while relief at the gas pump is nowhere in sight. The nation’s uncertain energy future has consumers worried, according to the federation’s poll. The poll registered broad support for better automobile mileage, more renewable energy, and more biofuel production. One sobering finding: household energy expenditures beat health care costs by 50 percent. Americans spent 23 percent more on energy than they did on food.

-Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

Report: Pot leaf picture marks marijuana bags

When a Monroe County deputy stopped a convertible for speeding at 3:45 a.m., he found bottles of Bacardi Limon and Hennessy Cognac on the back seat and two plastic bags, each imprinted with a picture of a pot leaf and containing marijuana, the Key West Citizen reports. The occupants, a woman and two men, were arrested. They were on their way to Fantasy Fest in Key West.

'I cut myself shaving,' man says of genital bandage

When Collier County authorities were strip-searching a man who serves weekends in jail for a prior conviction, they found a bandage on his genitals, the Naples Daily News reports. A deputy asked the man what the bandage was for, and he replied, "I cut myself shaving." The man was told to remove the bandage. When he did, deputies found four yellow Xanax pills attached to the adhesive side of the bandage. Authorities booked the man on two felony charges.

7-year-old crashes family car; causes $10,000 damage

A 7-year-old Lehigh Acres boy grabbed the keys and drove the family Caravan out of the driveway, across a street, into a culvert, back across the street, over a small queen palm, by an avocado tree and into a pine tree in the back yard, the Fort Myers News Press reports. The child did about $10,000 worth of damage to the family’s car, which had to be towed from the scene. The boy was treated for minor injuries at a hospital. No charges will be filed against him, authorities said.

Fire damages her home a second time: 'I can't believe it'

Above: Firefighters work to extinguish the remains of a suspicious structure fire at 2007 East North Bay Street that left a house with heavy damage today. No one was at home, and there were no injuries. The same fire crews extinguished a blaze at the same house last week. Right: Tenant DeAndra James, with her son Alex Pugh Jr., 7, was living in the house with her five children but had been staying in a hotel since last Wednesday when another fire had partially damaged their home. "I can't believe it. I'm blown," she said as she watched firefighters extinguish the blaze. [Brian Cassella  | Times]

Widow of accused shoplifter sues sheriff, deputy for $5-million

The widow of a man accused of shoplifting who was fatally shot while fleeing a St. Johns County deputy has sued the sheriff and a deputy for negligence, excessive force and wrongful death, the St. Augustine Record reports. She is asking for $5-million. The suit claims the man was "cold-bloodedly shot ... in the back" by a deputy as he escaped from a St. Augustine Wal-Mart. Police reports say he threatened the store manager with a box-cutter-size knife and displayed the knife when the deputy tried to handcuff him.

Head of Tampa Bay area FDLE office retires early

TAMPA -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent in charge of the Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center announced an early retirement Monday amid an investigation that his assistant violated a department policy, the office said.

FDLE spokeswoman Kristen Perezluha said today that the two events are "not connected."

Lance Newman had served as the special agent in charge of the FDLE Tampa office since October 2002. He has been with the FDLE for more than 23 years, Perezluha said.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Moses Jordan has been placed on administrative leave. Perezluha said that FDLE's executive investigation unit is looking into allegations that he may have violated departmental policy.

"Since that is an ongoing department investigation, I can't say anything further," Perezluha said.

The department launched its investigation into Jordan on Oct. 24.

Special agents from across the state are rotating into the office's top slot until Newman's replacement is named.

The FDLE Tampa Bay region includes Citrus, Sumter, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk and Hardee counties.

-Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

Body found in Pasco woods identified

ZEPHYRHILLS -- Deputies this morning identified the decomposed body of a woman found near woods along State Road 54 last week.

The body of Lori M. Heine, 48, had been there for about a month, authorities said. An autopsy revealed Heine strangled herself by tying shoelaces around both a small tree and her neck and dropping down.

Pasco sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll said in a statement that Heine had a history of depression.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

More than 1,000 people protest hospital move

SUN CITY CENTER -- More than 1,000 Sun City Center residents turned out this morning, most of them in opposition to a plan to relocate much of South Bay Hospital.

South Bay plans to build a new facility eight miles to the north and leave only an emergency room and diagnostic services in Sun City Center.

South Bay, which is owned by Hospital Corporation of America, has asked for state permission to move the 112-bed hospital to a site near U.S. 301 and Big Bend Road in south Riverview. The hospital has run out of room to expand in Sun City Center, hospital officials say.

St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa has filed a competing proposal with the state to build a hospital in the same area along Big Bend Road. Representatives of both hospitals, as well as the state Agency for Health Care Administration, attended the meeting. AHCA, which collected information at Tuesday's hearing, will make the final decision about a new hospital for the area.

A stream of residents spent almost three hours at a community center speaking against the move, with some people saying they bought their homes because a hospital was close by. Moving patients from an emergency room in Sun City Center to an intensive-care unit at a hospital miles away could become a question of life or death for medically fragile seniors, some residents said.

One resident was dressed as the Grim Reaper bearing a sign: "If South Bay goes away, the Grim Reaper is here to stay."

-Saundra Amrhein, Times staff writer

Photo: A man who would only identify himself as the Grim Reaper and his age as ageless, sat on the side of a community room in Sun City Center. [Skip O'Rlourke | Times] Click to enlarge.

Union demonstrates outside Hillsborough Sheriff's Office

TAMPA -- It was a strange scene outside the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office on Tuesday morning.

About 20 members of the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association stood outside the Sheriff's Office headquarters in Ybor City this morning. They held signs that read, "Deputies need your help!" and "Be our 911!"

Jim Spearing, a political consultant with the association, told reporters that deputies are under pressure because of "drastic understaffing." Spearing also raised concerns about a "top-heavy agency."

"There's too many chiefs and not enough Indians," he said.

Only a few yards away, an equal number of deputies and Hillsborough sheriff's leaders stood and watched the demonstrators. Several wore deputy uniforms. They were quiet as the union leaders talked with reporters, but they weren't quiet about their thoughts on the demonstration.

"They don't represent the deputies," said Cpl. Billy Hughes.

He and several others said they agreed there is a staffing shortage, but they said Sheriff David Gee has a plan in place.

-Abbie VanSickle, Times staff writer

State photographs rape suspect's arms

TAMPA -- Jerrod Pass, the man accused of a series of Tampa rapes, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of sexual battery with a deadly weapon.

A judge allowed prosecutors to photograph Pass' arms after the hearing. Several victims have said they saw scars or birthmarks on their attacker.

Pass, 38, remains in jail without bail on 39 charges including multiple sexual battery counts. Police say he attacked at least seven women between August 2003 and this summer.

Last week, police added nine counts of sexual battery on a victim younger than 12, saying DNA and physical evidence had linked Pass to an Aug. 18 attack of a 10-year-old girl.

-Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer

Gas leak reported in Tampa

TAMPA -- Fire Rescue units are tending to a broken natural gas pipeline at the 5200 block of N Central Avenue.

It is unclear what caused the pipe to break. Crews from TECO People's Gas are assisting to fix the ruptured line.

Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Bill Wade said in a statement that no injuries were reported and no building evacuations are scheduled. Some minor traffic detours are under way.

-Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Boy, 13, knocked out breaking up fight

TAMPA -- For his efforts to disrupt a fight between two adults, a 13-year-old boy was punched twice in the left eye and briefly knocked out late Monday, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrest report.

Deputies arrested Antonio "Tony" Fassel D'Eair Lowe, 27, (left) in connection with the incident, which took place about 9:15 p.m. inside an apartment near the University of South Florida.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said an argument between Lowe and the boy's 46-year-old sister escalated into blows. When the 13-year-old boy tried to stop the fight, Lowe punched him twice, causing his eye to swell and leaving him unconscious "for a few seconds," according to the report.

Jail records show the 6-foot, 285-pound Lowe was charged with felony child abuse.

-Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Child found in pool has died

CLEARWATER -- A 14-month old boy, who was found in his family's pool, has died.

Several family members were inside the residence when the child wandered out through a sliding glass door, which had been left open. Family members found the child floating in the pool a short time later. They pulled him out and began first aid, according to the Clearwater Police.

Clearwater Fire and Rescue responded to 3107 Chamblee Lane. Upon arrival, the child was out of the pool. CFR personnel estimate the child spent three to five minutes underwater.

Clearwater Fire and Rescue personnel began administering CPR until Bayflite arrived. The child was transported to Bayfront in critical condition.

Clearwater Police are conducting an investigation. The child's name has not been released at this time.

Fire damages Hernando mobile home

A mobile home at 2052 Culbreath Road, south of Brooksville, was damaged this afternoon by a fire. No injures were reported. [Maurice Rivenbark | Times]

Spring Hill school scrubbed as a precaution

SPRING HILL — A Hernando County school got an unscheduled scrub-down over the weekend, after a single case of illness at Deltona Elementary raised the possibility of staph infection.

"We don’t have any students with any documentation of any infectious disease at this point," said Jim Knight, director of student services. "We’re just erring on the side of caution."

Superintendent Wayne Alexander said the district took the precaution of disinfecting the school after a report that one child "might have a staph infection."

Since the child hadn’t been in school for a week, and the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria lives for just three days, any risk was minimal, Alexander said.

"I just wanted to go the extra mile to help dispel the anxiety that people might have," he added. "To hopefully minimize the concern that staff might have."

National awareness of the infection spiked this month after publication of a Journal of the American Medical Association report that a drug-resistant strain, MRSA, is more prevalent than had been thought. It was found about 95,000 times in 2005 and may have contributed to more than 18,000 U.S. deaths, the journal reported.

-Tom Marshall, Times staff writer

'Cobraman' in critical condition after rattlesnake bite

A Port St. Lucie man known as "Cobraman" is in critical condition after his pet diamondback rattlesnake sank its fangs into his right hand Saturday, the Palm Beach Post reports. Raymond Hunter, who is known in South Florida as a guru on poisonous snakes, drove himself to a hospital but passed out at the wheel of his car in the parking lot.

Teacher in sex case hospitalized for emotional distress, attorney says

TAMPA -- Christina Lin Butler, the Middleton High School teacher accused of having sex with one of her 16-year-old special education students, has been hospitalized because of severe emotional distress, her attorney said.

Tom Fox, her attorney, said Butler was directed to a local hospital by a private psychiatrist Thursday. Butler's current condition stems from a "long-standing diagnosis," Fox said.

Pressed on the details of her condition, Fox declined to comment, but said "all I can really tell you is that it's severe."

"This is not a Hollywood hospitalization," he said. "It's medically necessary."

Butler, 33, was charged with engaging in lewd or lascivious battery and was released from jail Wednesday after posting $7,500 bail. She was ordered into a local treatment facility the next day, Fox said.

Police say Butler and the teenager had sex up to a dozen times. She has since been suspended with pay, according to Hillsborough school spokeswoman Linda Cobbe.

The teacher has no criminal record in Florida, records show.

She joined Middleton's faculty at the start of this school year and taught students considered "educable," meaning they are the least affected of those classified as mentally disabled. The students have a degree of mental retardation and may exhibit judgment problems, Cobbe said.

Before that, Butler taught as a substitute at Coleman Middle School and Bryant Elementary School during the 2006-07 school year, Cobbe said.

Read previous Times coverage here.

-Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Booking photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Deputies identify man killed in industrial accident

TAMPA -- An industrial accident inside a lumber yard claimed the life of a man this morning, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue officials.

Raleigh D. Wilson, 48, of 40026 Mockingbird Lane, Zephyrhills, died this morning after he was struck by a board at a manufacturing company, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Wilson had been walking between two pieces of machinery at Robbins Manufacturing Co. about 7:50 a.m., said Hillsborough Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley. Wilson died at the scene.

Reached by phone, officials at the company, at 13001 N Nebraska Ave., declined to comment.

Yeakley said officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.

-Casey Cora and Abbie VanSickle, Times staff writers

Lee Roy Selmon taking control of his namesake barbecue chain

OSI Restaurant Partners Inc., the Tampa-based owner of Lee Roy Selmon's barbecue chain, said Monday it will sell a majority stake in the 7-year-old business to an investment group led by Selmon, the former NFL star, and the chain's manager for an undisclosed sum. Selmon and chain president Peter Barli said they they were happy that OSI would retain a minority stake but that it was difficult getting the financial commitment they wanted for growth from a company nurturing such multiple chains as Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill. Lee Roy Selmon's, which currently has six restaurants, now hopes to have 30 by 2012 and its first site outside Florida by 2010. The buyers would acquire an 80-percent stake in the chain while OSI would hold 20 percent.

-Scott Barancik, Times staff writer

Deputies identify man killed in train crash

BRANDON -- Deputies have identified the man killed Sunday when a train hit his truck at E Broadway Avenue between U.S. 301 and Falkenburg Road.

Stanley Pinder, 69, of 4128 Alafia Boulevard in Brandon, died Sunday afternoon after a train hit his truck about 1:50 p.m., where the tracks meet the small road that leads into the Brandon Model Flyers Club, a remote-controlled airplane field.

Pinder was a well-known south Tampa businessman who recently opened Gaspar's Cigar Shop at 3675 S Westshore Blvd. in July. His business partner, Davelis "D.C." Goutoufas, said he last saw Pinder Friday.

"He was in good spirits," Goutoufas said of Pinder. "That's why it's even more surprising."

Authorities continue to investigate the incident, in which Pinder's dog, a Dalmation named "Freckles," also died.

Some witnesses at the scene of the crash Sunday told sheriff's deputies that they believed the incident was a suicide. But deputies say they don't yet know what occurred.

"It's still undetermined exactly what happened," said Debbie Carter, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department. "It's under investigation."

According to deputies, Pinder's 1995 white Chevrolet pick-up truck was struck by an Amtrak train Sunday afternoon. The train hit the driver's side of the automobile.

-- Abbie VanSickle & Sherri Day, Times Staff Writers

Earlier report

Fugitive in Hernando break-in caught

BROOKSVILLE -- A man who evaded a massive manhunt Oct. 17 was arrested Friday by Hernando deputies.

Nigel D. Fleming,23, is charged with breaking into a home on Sunshine Grove Road in the Royal Highlands area. He fled after homeowner Mark Hartley returned home and caught Fleming in the act. Fleming tackled Hartley as he tried to leave and Hartley shot him in the stomach with "snake shot," or a bullet filled with tiny lead pellets.

Authorities released few details on the arrest, which wasn't released until today. Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Black said the case is still under investigation.

--John Frank, Times staff writer

Two more sextuplets to go home today

Two more of Florida's first sextuplets, MacKenzie Margaret and Eli Benjamin, are scheduled to go home this afternoon.

Ben and Karoline Byler were to show up at All Children's Hospital about 2 p.m. to pick up the babies. They will join Brady Christopher, who went to the family's Wesley Chapel home Oct. 18. Karoline said Brady is thriving at home. "He sleeps about two to three hours at a stretch depending on how tired he is and how much he ate," she said. He prefers the bottle, but she tries to nurse him at least a couple of times a day.

Karoline said MacKenzie and Eli had mastered the ability to drink from bottles, which is required before they are allowed to come home. Like Brady, they will also be hooked up to monitors equipped with alarms if they stop breathing momentarily.

The babies, five boys and a girl, were delivered by caesarean section Sept. 1 at Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. The remaining babies, Ryan Patrick and Jackson Robert, were listed in fair condition, while Charlie Craig remained in serious condition, according to the hospital Web site.

-Lisa Buie, Times staff writer

Devil Rays pitching coach pleads no contest to DUI

ST. PETERSBURG -- Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey (left) today pleaded no contest to charges of DUI and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage in connection with a Sept. 30 accident.

Hickey, 46, of St. Cloud, had his license suspended for six months and was placed on probation, with a provision that the probation could be terminated early if Hickey met certain conditions, according to his attorney, Jack Helinger of St. Petersburg.

Those conditions included serving 50 hours of community service, attending DUI school and paying $645 in fines and court costs. Hickey already has performed the community service, attended the school and paid the fines and court costs, Helinger said. He also already has paid restitution.

Under those circumstances, Helinger said, it's not unusual for a first-time offender's probation to be terminated early once those conditions of the sentence have been met.

"This was handled exactly as anybody else would have been handled for a first-time offense," he said.

County Judge William Overton withheld an adjudication of guilt on the charge of leaving the scene of an accident, Helinger said. He expected that a separate misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence would be dropped by the state. Court records show that that count was closed administratively and folded into the DUI charge last week.

Hickey was charged with running his silver pickup truck into the back of another pickup truck being driven by a Rays bat boy near Tropicana Field shortly after the team returned from its last game in Toronto. The bat boy, Matthew Felix Carlson, pulled over, but Hickey took off toward Interstate 275, police said. An undercover officer who saw the accident followed him and called to other police who pulled Hickey over.

Pulled over at Gandy Boulevard, Hickey tried to put his car in gear and drive away, police said. Officers took him from the car after he initially refused to get out. As he got out, he stumbled and fell, and then tensed his muscles and put his hands under his chest after falling down. He refused to remove his hands, but police eventually got his arms out and handcuffed him.

Hickey also refused to take a Breathalyzer or blood test, police said. That kind of refusal results in an automatic one-year suspension of a driver's license. Helinger said that issue was not addressed in court today and declined to discuss the matter further.

Hickey joined the Rays in November after being dismissed by Houston, where he was the major league pitching coach for 2 1/2 seasons after 13 years as a minor league coach.

A team representative could not be reached immediately, but the team previously has said it had not decided whether to retain Hickey. Helinger said Hickey hopes to remain with the team.

"His family and baseball has been his life, so most certainly he wants to, and we hope that will be the case," Helinger said after the hearing.

-Times staff writer

[Booking photo courtesy of St. Petersburg Police Department]

Student doused with gasoline at bus stop

ODESSA -- A 16-year-old student was waiting for the school bus this morning when someone drove past, dumped gasoline on him and then drove away, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Jesse Fuller was waiting for the school bus at 6:10 a.m. at 19506 Pine Tree Road in Odessa when he saw a car pull up, deputies say. Someone threw gasoline on the boy, then drove away, deputies say. As the car left, Fuller heard laughter.

Fuller was not injured. He told deputies he thought the car was white. No one has been arrested in the incident.

-Abbie VanSickle, Times staff writer

Knife to throat is blocked by hand, authorities say

LACOOCHEE -- Authorities say Roland Thompson tried to stab another man in the throat during a heated argument Sunday night. But the victim raised his hand, blocking the strike, and got a cut that required several stitches to close.

Thompson, 39, of 39849 State Road 575, Lacoochee, had his own explanation for the wound, according to an arrest report. He said the victim cut himself while preparing barbecue meat. Later, he said the victim was cut in a struggle with a dope dealer.

Nevertheless,Thompson was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery. He was held without bail Monday in the Land O'Lakes jail.

-Times staff writer

Monitoring, curfew to remain on man accused in airplane child molestation case

TAMPA -- A federal judge today ordered that home detention and electronic monitoring remain for a man accused of inappropriately touching a young girl on an airplane, even though the charge against him has been dropped.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Jenkins said Ronald Mays and his alleged victim both live in Pinellas County, geographically close enough that the judge was unwilling to grant his request to remove his curfew and home detention restrictions before his sentencing in January.

Mays, a Palm Harbor businessman, was found guilty in February of abusive sexual contact with a child while on an aircraft. But in June, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday ordered a new trial. The judge said he should not have allowed prosecutors to discuss allegations that Mays tried to destroy child pornography stored on his computer.

"I've never ever looked at child pornography in my life," Mays said today after court.

He also maintains that he never touched the 8-year-old girl who accused him of placing his forearm against her chest during a Southwest Airlines flight on June 20, 2006.

"I never touched anybody," Mays said, "and some day it will come out."

Frank Louderback, Mays' attorney, argued that the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act no longer applied to Mays because the charge had been dropped. Therefore, Louderback said, certain mandatory bail restrictions that the judge imposed should be lifted.

The Adam Walsh Act, signed by President Bush in 2006, strengthened federal penalties for crimes against children, including imposing mandatory punishments. 

Earlier this month, Merryday dismissed the sexual abuse charge against Mays at the government's request. A conviction for assault on an aircraft also was overturned and the charge dropped.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Kaiser said today that the girl's family didn't want to put her through another trial.

Mays still faces sentencing on Jan. 7 for the one conviction that remains from his trial -- a guilty verdict on obstruction of justice.

Kaiser had initially agreed to amend the conditions of Mays' release. But Kaiser told the judge that she changed her mind.

"I hadn't really analyzed the issue or the position fully, and I probably should have told Mr. Louderback I would get back to him," Kaiser said in court.

"I'm disappointed of course," Mays said. "For her to agree to them and then not to agree to them."

Jenkins said the conditions she imposed on Mays in November 2006 were "not the most restrictive type."

They include:

-An electronic monitoring device.

-A curfew that requires him to be home between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

-No Internet use except for business purposes.

-Home detention.

"I'm very disappointed that I've got to spend another Christmas inside my house," Mays said.

-Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

State review critical of local foster agency

TALLAHASSEE -- The private agency that oversees foster care children in Pinellas, Pasco and three other counties came under fire today by a state review team.

The Department of Children and Families review team concluded that the Sarasota Family YMCA cannot be successful "unless there is significant and meaningful change in its culture,'' according to a draft report released Monday.

The team also called for "immediate and aggressive steps'' by DCF and the YMCA to stabilize Pinellas County's foster care system.

"Almost all of the feedback received regarding Pinellas is consistent with a system in trouble,'' the report said.

The Sarasota YMCA, a nonprofit agency, was the subject of a recent St. Petersburg Times investigation that showed the agency as one of the best-funded and the worst-performing. DCF has $72-million in annual contracts with the agency to oversee foster care services.

The state's team unanimously agreed that it could not recommend the renewal of the agency's contract in DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties unless the agency changes.

DCF Secretary Bob Butterworth called for the review of the Sarasota YMCA in August after the Times investigation, the nine-month disappearance of a Pinellas County foster girl and the death of an 18-month-old foster girl who suffocated one month after being reunited with her mother.

A final report will be released Tuesday.

Report: Ranch dressing triggers domestic battery

ZEPHYRHILLS -- James Roope, 20 years old and unemployed, is accused of smacking his mother's arm, poking her neck and shoving her against the dryer. It all started with ranch dressing.

Just after noon Sunday, according to an arrest report, Roope was in the kitchen, making lunch, when his mother asked him to use the ranch dressing that was already open.

This perturbed the young man and led to the violence, the report said.

Roope, of 2117 Hilda Ann Road, Zephyrhills, was arrested and charged with simple domestic battery. He was held without bail Monday in the Land O'Lakes jail.

The report did not make clear whether Roope had, in fact, opened a second bottle of ranch.

-Thomas Lake, Times staff writer

Wildlife officer dies pinned by ATV in the Everglades

A Florida wildlife officer was killed after her all-terrain vehicle crashed in a remote part of the Everglades and pinned her underneath for hours, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The 47-year-old officer was on patrol for poachers who often target alligators and deer at night. She struck a metal gate and was ejected from her ATV, which overturned and fell on top of her, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

TECO sells transport unit

Eager to pare its debt, Tampa-based TECO Energy this morning said it has agreed to sell its transport division for $405-million in cash to an investment group led by an affiliate of Greenstreet Equity Partners of Miami. http://www.tecoenergy.com/news/article/index.cfm?article=432

Taking out transaction costs and taxes, the deal is expected to net TECO between $370-million and $380-million.

"We are pleased with the outcome and believe that it is in the best interest of all concerned,'' TECO Chairman and CEO Sherrill Hudson said in a statement. "It is the best alternative for TECO Energy's shareholders -- allowing us to accelerate our debt retirement plan, strengthen our balance sheet and focus on our utility businesses.''

TECO Transport, which has employed about 185 workers locally, includes a fleet of a dozen ocean-going vessels, 20 river towboats and about 650 inland barges.  It also owns a transfer terminal at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Morgan Stanley & Co. acted as TECO's financial adviser in the deal, and AMA Capital Partners represented Greenstreet. The sale is expected to close by the end of the year.

-Jeff Harrington, Times staff writer

Largo police employee arrested

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police arrested a Largo police employee Sunday and charged her with disorderly intoxication.

Police say Kathleen Louise Johnson, 62, of 955 51st St. N, Apt. 108, was arrested about 9:50 p.m. Sunday after she was seen standing in the street and hitting her head on cars at 4931 10th Ave. N.

Johnson, a records clerk, was charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest.

According to the arrest report, Johnson "stated she had too much to drink that night and couldn't explain her action,'' said St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa.

-Times staff writer

Police: Man shot while pumping gas

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police say a man was robbed and shot while pumping gas at a Shell station early Sunday.

Eric C. Larson, whose age and address is not known, was getting gas about 4:15 a.m. Sunday at the station at 3400 Fifth Ave. S when two men walked up and asked him for his wallet, police say. Larson gave them his wallet, and he was shot in the stomach.

The two men fled.

Larson's injuries were not considered life-threatening.

-Times staff writer

St. Petersburg man killed in accident

ST. PETERSBURG -- A 20-year-old St. Petersburg man died Sunday after he ran a red light and lost control of the car he was driving, police say.

Police say Jonneth Correa of 3762 18th Ave. N was driving a 2003 Honda westbound in the 4900 block of 38th Avenue N when he accelerated to beat the red light. The car went airborne through the intersection, struck the center median and then slid sideways, where it struck an above-ground water meter. The car then hit a tree and spun counter-clockwise.

Correa, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the car. His body struck a building at 4957 38th Ave. N. The car then struck the building and Correa, killing him.

The car's passenger, Dan Cronin, 21, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center. He was treated for minor injuries and released.

The police investigation is ongoing.

-Times staff writer

Two dead in I-275 crash

ST. PETERSBURG -- A five-car accident Sunday night at Interstate 275 and Gandy Boulevard killed two people and injured at least two others, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers say the accident occurred about 10:45 p.m. Sunday when the driver of an Acura Integra failed to slow down in a construction zone, causing the car to strike another car. That crash caused a domino effect.

The Acura driver, Tri Nhon, 45, of 5319 13th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries. Two passengers, Chip Tran, 55, and Thuan Kien, 36, were killed.

The driver of the truck that was struck, Ziyad Ideis, 37, of Zephyrhills, also was taken to Bayfront Medical Center.

The accident shut down interstate traffic for several hours.

-Times staff writer

U.S. 19 closed in Palm Harbor

PALM HARBOR -- A multiple-vehicle accident has temporarily closed northbound and southbound lanes of U.S. 19 near Tampa and Curlew roads this morning.

Emergency vehicles are on the scene.

Check our traffic map for updates.

-Melanie Ave, Times staff writer

Deputies investigating shooting near University Square Mall

TAMPA -- Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies are investigating a shooting near University Square Mall.

Someone was shot in the neck, spokesman J.D. Callaway said. No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

-- Catherine E. Shoichet, Times staff writer

One reported dead in truck vs. train crash

[Police officers inspect the wreckage of a white Chevrolet pickup truck that was hit by an Amtrak train along Broadway Ave. E. The driver, a male, died. -- Ross Mantle | Times]

BRANDON -- A man is dead after his Chevrolet pickup truck was struck by an Amtrak passenger train near the intersection of East Broadway Avenue and Falkenburg Road.

None of the 150 passengers on the train was seriously injured, Hillsborough Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said, but two passengers complained of soreness. A dog that was in the pickup truck also died in the crash.

The crash occurred around 2 p.m. this afternoon, when the train and the truck collided on a side road that leads into the Brandon Model Flyers Club. The train, which was going 50 mph, dragged the truck a quarter of a mile.

Hillsborough Sheriff's Corporal Stu Gray said it was unclear whether the driver of the truck was heading into the club or out of the club, or whether he had been parked on the tracks.

"It's kind of hard to determine suicide or not," Gray said. "In most of these cases, the only witnesses are the drivers."

Around 4 p.m., Gray said crews were expected to clear out the truck in the next 35 to 40 minutes. The train will continue to its destination.

Two witnesses say they saw the unidentified man 20 minutes before the crash standing in the bed of his pickup truck, which was on the side of the road near the railroad tracks.

Patrick Register and Jerry Taylor were headed towards a friend's house on East Broadway Avenue when they saw the white Chevrolet pickup truck. A man was standing in its bed, looking over some brush towards the train tracks.

"We actually slowed down," Register said. "We were going to stop. I got a sick, eerie feeling. I said 'Jerry, something's wrong.'"

When they returned to the scene, Hillsborough County fire rescue workers and Sheriff's deputies were working the wreck. The same pickup truck they had seen was flipped underneath the front of the 150-passenger train.

Register lingered at the scene.

"Man," he said, "I wish I would have stopped to talk to him."

-- Alexandra Zayas, Times staff writer

Man killed trying to help in a multi-car crash

BRANDON -- A Riverview man is dead, hit while trying to help the injured in an overnight crash on Interstate 75.

Amir D. Sarhaddi, 29, had left his vehicle in the emergency lane when he was fatally struck in a four-car chain reaction, a Florida Highway Patrol release says.

Just after 3 a.m. Sunday, the southbound driver of an Infiniti failed to notice the car ahead of his, a Jeep, slow down. The Infiniti rear-ended the Jeep, and the Jeep overturned onto the grass median, striking a tree. The Infiniti came to a stop, blocking the lanes.

Sarhaddi got out of his car in the emergency lane to assist the injured. A Toyota truck pulled over, and its driver, 19-year-old Jared Cason, also got out to help.

But a third southbound car, a Saturn, failed to notice the Infiniti and pedestrian Sarhaddi. The Saturn struck the Infiniti, veered to the left, striking Sarhaddi, then came to a stop crashing into the Toyota truck, the release says.

Sarhaddi died. The driver of the Infiniti, 36-year-old James S. Braley, suffered minor injuries, as did 22-year-old Perets E. Nisim, who drove the Jeep. Saturn driver Jessica Paquette, 23 and Toyota truck driver Cason were not injured.

Charges are pending.

-- Alexandra Zayas, Times Staff Writer

Twenty-five arrested at Guavaween

TAMPA -- While police report no major incidents from Guavaween this year, they arrested 25 people during the Ybor City festivities. Eight were charged with felony crimes and 17 were charged with misdemeanors. Seven of the misdemeanor arrests were alcohol related, according to an early Sunday release from the Tampa Police Department. The release includes arrests by both the city and county police departments.

-- Times Staff