Woman abducted, deputies ask for help

TAMPA -- An armed Tampa man has kidnapped his ex-girlfriend, according to deputies, and now investigators are seeking the public's help in locating both of them.

Otano Anton Leggett, 29, left, arrived at his ex-girlfriend's house at 934 Lakewood Ave. at about 5 p.m. today, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Danielle Perez, 24, argued with her ex-boyfriend before she was taken against her will, according to a witness.

Perez's uncle, Louis Miranda, 52, told deputies he was in another room when he overheard Leggett demanding money from Perez. Miranda said he tried to intervene. When he came into the room, he saw his niece with a bloody nose. Leggett struck Miranda and fell to the floor, Carter said.

Armed with a knife, Leggett took Perez against her will, leaving in her bronze Kia Rio with Florida tag S989MK, Carter said.

Leggett is described as black, 5-foot-11, 220 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue pullover shirt and red, white and blue shorts. Warrants have been issued for Leggett on two counts of domestic battery, one count of aggravated assault and one count of false imprisonment.

An arrest report shows Leggett was arrested at the same address in June and charged with false imprisonment. The arrest record shows he was also armed with a knife during that incident.

Anyone with information about either Perez or Leggett is asked to call Hillsborough Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-873-8477.

--By Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer

TIA executive director to study NASA information

Louis Miller, executive director of Tampa International Airport, said he hadn’t yet had a chance to sort through the pile of NASA data released New Year's Eve to see whether it has any implications for airport operations. He expected airports, airlines and air safety regulators will thoroughly review NASA’s information.

“We take safety very seriously,” Miller said. “It’s our top priority. Obviously, I’ll be interested in seeing what comes out of the study.”

For the full story, read here.

- Asjylyn Loder, Times staff writer

The circus comes to town

[Ken Helle | Times]

TAMPA -- The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus returned to the St. Pete Times Forum this afternoon with its ever-popular elephant walk from Union Station to the Forum.

The walk kicked off "Over the Top," the 138th Edition of the Greatest Show on Earth. The animals were unloaded at the railroad tracks at Nuccio Parkway and N Nebraska Avenue near Union Station.

The elephant walk headed west on Cass Street, south on Morgan (in photo above), then west on Channelside Drive to the Forum.

"Over the Top" makes its worldwide premiere at the Forum on Wednesday and runs through Sunday.

A behind-the-scenes preshow begins one hour before the event and allows audience members to join athletic performers in getting CircusFit; also Animal Open House begins 90 minutes before show time. Both are included with admission.

Minyak (above left) stops for a snack while navigating the steps from the train to the ramp while a circus animal handler waits patiently at the bottom of the ramp. (Click to enlarge photo.)

- Ken Helle, Times staff

Karen, a 36-year-old elephant weighing more than 9,000 pounds, stops to feel a rock as an animal handler guides her to the staging area on N Nebraska Avenue. [Ken Halle | Times]

Florida reaches million-dollar settlement with insurance carrier

Florida and nine other states have reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with a large insurance carrier involved in a pay-to-play scheme.
The Travelers Companies Inc. will pay $6-million to a multistate task force to resolve allegations of rigging rates in the commercial insurance market, according to a release from Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's office Monday.
Travelers had allegedly conspired with insurance giant Marsh & McLennan and other brokers and submitted fake bids, thereby inflating insurance premiums. The brokers had already determined among themselves which insurer would receive a particular policyholder’s business, a release said.
Florida alone is receiving $1.1-million, which will pay for a reimbursement pool for affected policyholders and repay the state's investigation costs.

- Madhusmita Bora, Times staff writer

Reward offered in Texas tiger shooting

TAMPA -- Big Cat Rescue in Tampa is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for killing a young female Bengal tiger in Texas last week.

The tiger's body was found next to Interstate 35E in Dallas on Christmas Day. The animal, which had been declawed, was wearing a makeshift collar and leash. It was shot five times in the face and chest.

"A lot of people have animals in private ownership and can’t take care of them," said Scott Lope, operations manager at Big Cat. "It’s such a tragedy that these animals are so disposable.''

A necropsy of the 180-pound cat was performed at the Dallas Zoo. Chuck Siegel, deputy director of the Dallas Zoo, said he believes the tiger may have become more than the owner could handle.

"It hits home so much for us because Florida and Texas have the most pet tigers in private ownership,'' Lope said.

Big Cat, which has been working with Texas authorities, already has passed on a few tips, Lope said.
Anyone with information is asked to call (813) 920-4130.

- Jackie Ripley, Times staff writer

Whale spotted in gulf

TREASURE ISLAND -- Local marine officials are monitoring a 25- to 30-foot sperm whale swimming near John's Pass. The whale could be in distress, officials said Monday.

Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Mote Marine Laboratory, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a University of Florida veterinarian are checking on the whale's condition, said Mote spokeswoman Nadine Slimak.

A boater first saw the whale Sunday, according to BayNews 9, which posted video of the whale on its Web site.

Whales are common in the Gulf of Mexico, but typically stay well offshore, Slimak said. That one is this close could mean it's ill, she said. "It's pretty unusual for a whale to be this close," she said.

- Aaron Sharockman, Times staff writer

Tampa police chase ends in crash

A man involved in the crash, but not the chase, talks to a police officer. [Kathleen Flynn | Times]

TAMPA -- A Tampa Police Department pursuit of a stolen vehicle this morning ended in a three-car crash near Hillsborough Avenue and 19th Street.

At least four people were taken to hospitals, but none of the injuries appears to be life-threatening, said Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

Police arrested three suspects in connection with the high-speed chase.

McElroy said the incident began when an On-Star notification alerted officers to a stolen vehicle at the Kenneth Court Apartments, 5711 Troy Court, in Tampa. Officers who were watching the car tracked it to a gas station on 34th Street and Hillsborough.

The officers tried to use their cars to box in the stolen vehicle, but as two officers approached on foot, the suspect "gunned it, attempting to kill the officers,'' McElroy said.

The officers fired three shots as the suspects drove into a nearby neighborhood, she said. While headed east, the driver and a passenger jumped out of the moving vehicle. The remaining passenger became the driver and tried to ram a sergeant who was pursuing in another car, McElroy said.

The sergeant avoided a collision but ran off the road into a fence. The suspect then drove back onto Hillsborough Avenue, where he lost control, hit a median and caused a three-car wreck, McElroy said.

A wife, husband and toddler were in one of the vehicles; a single driver was in the other.

- Amber Mobley, Times staff writer

Budweiser/AAA offer free tow for impaired drivers

Ringing in the new year tonight? Don't drink and drive.

Budweiser and AAA have teamed up for the 10th annual "Tow to Go" program, which dispatches a tow truck to parties and bars intent on getting you -- and your vehicle -- home safely.

Funded by Anheuser-Busch and AAA, the program is free and available throughout much of the state to AAA members and nonmembers.

Call 1-800-AAA-HELP and follow the prompts for a lift.

- Times staff writer

Fog, rain today before midweek cold snap

Fog shrouds downtown Tampa this morning as members of the women's rowing team from the University of Michigan row up the channel between Davis Islands and Harbour Island. [Ken Helle | Times]
Pockets of thick fog have prompted the National Weather Service to issue a dense fog advisory for parts of the bay area this morning.

Motorists are encouraged to keep a safe distance between cars, drive slowly and use low-beam headlights.

The advisory is expected to be lifted about 9 a.m.

Bay News 9 forecasters say temperatures will reach the upper 70s today, with a 50 percent chance of rain. High temperatures will hover in the high 60s and low 70s Tuesday before a cold snap drops the mercury considerably.

Forecasters say temperatures will plummet by Wednesday and Thursday, with highs in the 50s and lows reaching into the 30s. Northern counties could see low temperatures in the 20s.

- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Police find vehicle belonging to slain woman's boyfriend

ST. PETERSBURG -- The vehicle belonging to the boyfriend of 27-year-old Kelly Burgess, found gunned down in her apartment Saturday, has been recovered (see photo above) at a Clearwater mall, police said.

Meanwhile, the owner of the 2001 Honda Civic, 39-year-old Troy A. Sierra, remains jailed on unrelated charges in an Orange County jail.

Police first visited the couple's residence at the Promenade apartment complex after a report late Friday morning of shots fired, but left after investigators questioned neighbors and determined nothing there was out of the ordinary.

Early Saturday morning, Sierra (left) was booked into an Orange County jail on a cocaine possession charge and an open container violation, jail records show.

When police returned to the Promenade apartment complex, 540 Carillon Parkway N, about 6 p.m. Saturday, they found Burgess' body inside her apartment. She had been shot to death.

Although police have called a number of Sierra's actions suspicious, investigators have so far stopped short of naming him as a suspect.

Please return to tampabay.com for updates.

- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Photo of car by Eammon Kneeshaw

Booking photo of Sierra courtesy of Orange County Sheriff's Office; Photo of Burgess courtesy St. Petersburg Police Department

Subway robbers arrested

BRANDON – Deputies have arrested three suspects who allegedly fired two shots and robbed a Subway sandwich shop Sunday night.

No one was injured in the shooting, Hillsborough Sheriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

Around 9:18 p.m., two black males with what witnesses described as white t-shirts around their faces entered the Subway, at 3208 Lithia Pinecrest Road. They fired two shots, demanded money and fled in a white vehicle, Carter said.

Deputies chased the vehicle to the area of Mulrennan Road and Imperial Eagle Drive, Carter said, where all three suspects fled from the vehicle on foot. Deputies arrested the suspects. They recovered the money from the armed robbery, a handgun and a rifle.

The suspects’ names and the charges against them have not been released.

-- Catherine Shoichet, Times Staff Writer

Body found in apartment complex pond

TAMPA -- A body was discovered in a pond at The Mallory Apartments in northwest Tampa Sunday morning, Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies said.

Deputies, a dive team and crime scene unit responded to the apartment complex pond, which is at 11525 Casa Marina Way, after a call came in around 9:50 a.m. The body of a black male was pulled from the water and he has not yet been identified, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

The Sheriff's office is awaiting the results of an autopsy from the medical examiner to determine the cause of death.

-- Times staff writer

Homicide in Carillon

A woman was found shot to death Saturday night in an apartment in north St. Petersburg.

The victim, Kelly D. Burgess, 27, lived at the apartment but was in the process of moving, police say.

Police are investigating the homicide as a possible domestic incident.

Shots were first heard late Friday morning. Police went out to investigate, but "did not find anything out of the ordinary," said St. Petersburg Police Sgt. Michael Kovacsev. Police responded to the scene again around 6 p.m. Saturday to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked in front of Building 9 at the Promenade apartment complex, 540 Carillon Parkway N.

The car was registered to Burgess. Officers searched apartment 3087 and found her. Police believe most of Burgess' family is in Louisianna.

A neighbor, Anthony Bodtmann, told freelance videographer Eamonn Kneeshaw that he had heard three gunshots Friday and a person moaning.

Standoff over in Seminole

Todd Clark, 30, of Seminole, is taken for medical treatment Sunday after he was apprehended by deputies on the porch of a residence east of 13537 Park Blvd.
(Douglas R. Clifford | Times)

Pinellas County deputies twice traded gunfire with a man before he surrendered Sunday morning. There were no apparent injuries.

Deputies responding to a 911 hangup around 2:45 a.m. Sunday encountered Todd M. Clark, 30, in his front yard and followed him into his parents' home at 13537 Park Blvd.

He then reportedly shot at deputies, who returned fire and retreated outside the residence. SWAT negotiators arrived around 5:30 a.m.

At 8:40 a.m., a sheriff's armored rescue vehicle approached the house and tried to make contact with Clark.

He tried to run and again shot at deputies. They returned fire and yelled at Clark to get down on the ground. He did and deputies arrested him.

Park Boulevard is currently closed from 131st Street to Oakhurst Road. Oakhurst United Methodist Church, unreachable because of the road closure, has canceled services.

Return to tampabay.com for details.

A Pinellas Sheriff's Office SWAT team member secures the outside of the home at 13537 Park Blvd. in Seminole.
(Douglas R. Clifford | Times)

Coast Guard search called off

ST. PETERSBURG -- A 19-year-old Palm Harbor man may have jumped off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge early Saturday while he was arguing with someone on his cell phone.

The Coast Guard called off the search for Dustin Benson at about 1:30 p.m. after several marine units and a helicopter were unable to locate him.

Benson and four friends had been drinking and fishing on the span when "he stepped off the bridge" during the argument, said Debbie Carter, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, which is involved in the investigation.

"We believe it could have been a suicide," said Carter.

She did not have any additional information, including the identity of the person with whom Benson was arguing or the nature of the argument.

The bridge is up to 75 feet high at the point Benson either fell or jumped from the northbound lanes of the span. At its highest point, the Sunshine Skyway is about 200 feet high.

William R. Levesque, Times staff writer

Six more manatees found dead in waters with Red Tide bloom

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that six more manatees were found dead in Brevard County, but cannot say for sure whether the ongoing Red Tide is to blame, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

"We're taking water samples from all the areas, just in case," said Wendy Quigley, a wildlife commission spokeswoman. "But, obviously, we won't know much information until the necropsies."

Four other manatees have died from Red Tide in Volusia and Brevard counties since October. That is the highest number of Red Tide deaths on Florida's east coast since the state began a more precise tracking in 1996, Quigley told the Sentinel. Historically, manatees that succumb to Red Tide are found in southwest Florida.

Sen. Ronda Storms holds Bhutto vigil

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

TAMPA -- Night fell. Storefronts went dark. Workers fled for the suburbs, leaving a thicket of empty skyscrapers.

Then, in Courthouse Square, lights flickered. People gathered beneath the open-air dome. They stared at a photograph mounted on an easel: a woman, regal and serene, with dark lashes and glossy lips and a white scarf around her head.

The woman was Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan. She was assassinated Thursday at the age of 54. Now, on the following night, in a medium-sized American city nearly 8,000 miles away, a handful of mourners held an unlikely vigil.

The photograph came from Google Images. Beth Sutkowy, a legislative assistant for State Sen. Ronda Storms, downloaded it and took it to Staples to be enlarged.

The senator from Valrico organized the vigil. She said she wanted to honor a fellow female politician -- one who gave her life for her people. Storms invited other local politicians, but this was not a convenient week.

"What we found," she said, "is pretty much everybody's not in town."

For more, pick up a copy of tomorrow's Times -- or visit hillsborough.tampabay.com on Saturday.

Four-vehicle crash on I-75 ties up traffic

Pasco County firefighters attend to an occupant of a vehicle involved in a four-vehicle accident in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 between State Road 52 and State Road 54 around 1:30 this afternoon. The four vehicles involved were a dump truck loaded with dirt, two SUVs and a smaller sedan. No major injuries were reported and the cause of the accident is under investigation. Traffic in the southbound lanes was backed up for miles. [Mike Pease | Times]

Wal-Mart backs down in Hernando

SPRING HILL -- By all accounts, Hernando County is Wal-Mart country, with three Supercenters so far and more likely on the way.

But even here, there are limits.

On Friday the retailing giant backed down from a brewing legal fight with the county, saying it would relocate a proposed fourth supercenter from Barclay Avenue to a possible new site on County Line Road near the Suncoast Parkway.

"We would rather work in a positive way with the county, rather than going down that road," said spokeswoman Quenta Vettel. "In a sense of goodwill and working with the county, we've decided to not pursue that site anymore."

Panel airs concerns on Haley psychologists

TAMPA -- U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, held a fact-finding forum today at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center about allegations that unlicensed psychologists there receive little supervision.

The hearing was sparked by Haley psychologist Brian Nussbaum, who filed a complaint with the state contending that 12 unlicensed psychologists work at Haley. But that number changes weekly, and Haley officials say the figure is now eight out of 36 positions.

Nussbaum said the atmosphere at the VA hospital doesn't encourage a frank discussion of the problem. He said his concerns were not adequately addressed by his bosses.

"I'm sitting alone here," Nussbaum told a panel that included several of his bosses. "People have expressed support. But they're afraid of losing their job. ... And that's a concern."

Haley officials denied that any of the unlicensed people receive inadequate supervision. In fact, officials said the unlicensed psychologists were asked if they are adequately supervised and all said they were.

Tampa pair faces cocaine, Ecstasy trafficking charges

TAMPA -- An officer staking out a house for a previous drug complaint watched as the green BMW left the home, then pulled the car over for a busted tail light, according to a police report.

That traffic stop yielded the discovery of  67 round, white pills of ecstasy and led authorities back to the home at 1703 W Atkinson Dr., where police found 32.9 grams of cocaine, 12 additional grams of ecstasy, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun and $1,891 in cash.

Telap Tan, 32, (left) the driver of the BMW, and Kristina Vrastil , 31 (right), were arrested and charged for their parts in drug trafficking, according to a police report. Jail records show Vrastil was charged with felony trafficking in ecstasy, felony armed trafficking in cocaine, felony possession of Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, and misdemeanor possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

Tan was charged with felony trafficking in ecstasy and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tan's BMW and a black 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer were seized, police said.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

St. Pete motorcyclist injured in wreck

ST. PETERSBURG -- A 41-year-old motorcyclist was seriously injured after losing control of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle while turning onto 46th Avenue N, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.

David Taylor, 5200 64th Circle, turned west onto 46th Avenue N. Thursday from a parking lot when his 2002 Harley-Davidson Softail overturned, throwing him onto the pavement.

Taylor, who highway patrol officials say was not wearing a helmet, was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with serious injuries.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Standoff ends with suicide attempt

NEW PORT RICHEY -- A standoff ended with a suicide attempt outside Community Hospital this morning, Pasco County sheriff's officials said.

The incident, which prompted a lockdown of the hospital, started about 6:45 p.m. Thursday after dispatchers received a 911 call from a man claiming to be suicidal.

About 45 minutes later, a Pasco sheriff's deputy spotted a 54-year-old Trinity man sitting on the pavement in the parking lot of the hospital at 5637 Marine Parkway. The man was pointing a handgun toward his chin and threatening suicide.

Authorities put the hospital on a "modified lockdown," allowing limited access to and from the hospital.

Man loses hand prying open firework, three more injured

ST. PETERSBURG -- Authorities this morning are trying to sort out why several people, including two children, were in a bedroom watching a man dismantle a commercial firework when the device exploded, leaving four people injured and one man without a hand. 

Pinellas sheriff's officials said four people -- Paul Clements, 46, Mark Wolf, 49, and two 11-year-old children, Cassie Techton and Carson Wolf -- were in the bedroom of Mark Wolf's home at 4910 52nd St. N around 11:30 p.m. when Clements tried to pry open a pyrotechnic shell with a screwdriver.

The prying apparently detonated the firework, shattering the surrounding windows and leaving the room in a cloud of smoke.

Clements' left hand was blown off in the explosion. He suffered injuries to his eyes, face, right arm and other parts of his upper body, officials said.

Authorities said Clements had about 20 years of experience in dealing with fireworks. The firework he was opening at the time of the explosion was a commercial firework used for large celebrations, not the type that consumers can buy in roadside stands.

Mark Wolf's hair was singed and he suffered a "concussive injury to hearing," sheriff's spokeswoman Marianna Pasha said. Both children suffered hearing injuries and Techton's right arm was burnt.

All four were taken to Bayfront Medical Center. Clements remains there in critical condition.

Pinellas deputies learned Clements was living at Wolf's house and is "experienced at handling large fireworks, and has designed fireworks displays," Pasha said in a statement.

Authorities have deemed the explosion an accident.

"Due to the nature of Clements' injuries,'' the sheriff's office said in a statement, "deputies have been unable to  interview him completely to learn why he was trying to pry open the fireworks shell.''

Casey Cora and Ahbi Raghunathan, Times staff writers

Polk sheriff investigates woman's death in fire

Polk County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking into a Polk City mobile home fire in which a woman was killed early Friday.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said residents of the home at 1585 Marker Road saw flames coming out of a bedroom where the woman was. They were able to escape the home and call 911, but Polk County Fire Department found the woman dead inside the room when they arrived and put out the fire.

Rodgers said homicide detectives are investigating the death, while the state fire marshal's office looks into the cause of the fire. She said names of the homes occupants and the dead woman would not be made available until later Friday morning.

Ken Walker, Times staff writer

Polk suspect is a man last seen in sundress and heels

Polk County Sheriff detectives are asking for help in identifying a man who solicited a juvenile to commit a lewd act between 2:30 and 3 p.m. today in the Eagle Lake area.

According to sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers, the man is either Caucasian, Asian or Hispanic and driving a dark blue Jeep Liberty. He was also dressed as a woman, "wearing a black and white flowered sundress, silver high heels with gemstones on them, a dark brown wig with the hair pulled up in a clip and large sunglasses."

Anyone with information on the incident can contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office, toll-free at 1-800-226-0344, or Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-226-8477.

Ken Walker, Times staff writer

Sheriff's office employees disciplined for adultery

Two Pinellas County Sheriff's Office employees have been disciplined for engaging in an intimate relationship. It's the first time someone has been punished for the offense since an the agency created an order banning adultery.

Deputy John Bradshaw received a three-day suspension, according to documents released Thursday. Radio operator Heather Clouser got a written reprimand.

Sheriff Jim Coats instituted the first-of-its-kind policy among Tampa Bay law enforcement agencies in October 2005. It bans the office's 3,000 employees from becoming romantically involved when at least one of them is married. Excluded from the policy are employees who are separated and residing apart from their spouses and employees who have legally filed for divorce.

Times staff writer

Redner goes from strippers to a hotel

TAMPA -- Tampa's best-known strip club owner is trying a new career: hotelier.

Joe Redner, the owner of the Mons Venus strip club, says he became 51 percent owner of the Westshore Hotel, formerly the Admiral Benbow Inn, about three months ago.

Redner wouldn't say how much money the hotel deal cost him, but according to Hillsborough County Property Appraiser records the current owners paid $17.4-million for the hotel in June.

Redner said he'll leave the hotel as is until after Tampa hosts the Super Bowl in 2009. Then he'll tear down the building, constructed in 1973, and replace it with another hotel, offices and a parking garage.

Janet Zink, Times staff writer

Floridians react to Benazir Bhutto assassination

"It is a sad day for those of us who had hoped for the return of democracy back home. There are a lot of people out there who seem to want a change, and she would have been an agent of change." — Fazal Fazlin, 57, of St. Petersburg, a distant relative of Bhutto who came to America from Pakistan more than 30 years ago.

"It's painful. It's a woman. A mother. A wife. A Muslim woman. I feel very, very sorry. It's a big loss." — Safia El-Kasaby, 45, business manager of the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Area Mosque.

"Personally, I was shocked. This was a shocking incident. No one is prepared for this kind of news. It’s a cowardly act and political assassination and terror attacks are un-Islamic." — Ramzy Kilic, 23, civil rights coordinator with the Council on American Islamic Relations in Tampa.

"Her grace and her dignity, the way she carried herself —  it spoke a lot about who she was. She didn’t have to speak in order for you to know there was something very special about this woman. When she spoke, it just confirmed what you felt just by being in her presence." — Rev. Robert Baggott, 52, senior minister at Vero Beach Community Church, where Bhutto lectured to 868 people in March.

Boy, 5, struck by car while riding scooter

TAMPA -- A 5-year-old boy was hospitalized today after he rolled through a stop sign on his motorized scooter and collided with a vehicle at the intersection of 28th Avenue and 31st Street, authorities said.

The boy, Randall Williams, was wearing no safety equipment as he rode down the street around 11:45 a.m., according to Tampa police spokeswoman Janelle McGregor. He was in serious condition at Tampa General Hospital.

The vehicle's driver was Jacquelyn Randall, 48, of 3008 27th Avenue. She had the right of way, McGregor said. No citations were issued.

Casey Cora and Thomas Lake, Times staff writers

Man arrested for killing injured cat with hammer

ST. PETERSBURG -- A 59 year-old St. Petersburg man was arrested on an animal cruelty charge after he killed a wounded cat in public by striking it repeatedly with a hammer.

Douglas Michaud is accused of striking a cat that may have been injured after being hit by a car. A witness told police that Michaud said, "I'm tired of hearing it squeal all morning,'' as he hit the cat five to seven times with a hammer.

Police said Michaud told them that he was "only putting the cat out of its misery.''

Abhi Raghunathan, Times staff writer

Police presence to increase at BayWalk

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police presence around BayWalk will increase after a chaotic Christmas night at the outdoor movie and shopping complex ended with several injuries and arrests.

The incident prompted City Council member Bill Foster to say that police were overwhelmed by an unruly crowd of teenagers.

Assistant police chief Dave DeKay said that the crowd was comparable to last year's and that police did a good job dispersing the ruckus that ensued after someone fired seven shots in the air as police were escorting people out of BayWalk. He declined to specify how many additional officers would be present in the next few weeks.

"There's a lot going on during the holiday season and we take that into account," DeKay said. "Because this has happened we'll have additional staffing for the next couple of weeks."

Abhi Raghunathan, Times staff writer

Earlier coverage: Tumult taints plaza's safety, Times, Dec. 27

Sheriff's deputies looking for armed robbers

BRANDON -- Hillsborough Sheriff's Office officials are investigating a string of armed robberies that took place over the course of an hour early this morning.

The first robbery was reported at 2:26 a.m. at a 7-Eleven convenience store at 1902 U.S. 301 N., where two men took cash and a case of Heineken beer.

Twenty-five minutes later and six blocks away, another armed robbery was reported, this time at a Waffle House restaurant at 6502 U.S. 301.

Then, at 3:07 a.m., another Waffle House at 1902 Lumsden Road was robbed. The two suspects took cash from the register and pistol-whipped the cook, a 23-year-old woman, before leaving the restaurant. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue treated the woman at the scene for a large bruise on her head.

Deputies are looking for the robbers, who were described as black men in their 20s, around 5-feet-8 and 150 pounds, wearing bandana-type cloth around their faces. Both are armed with handguns.

Anyone with any information about the robberies are asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, 247-8200, or Crime Stoppers, toll-free at 1-800-873-8477.

Times staff writer

Police: Trio arrested in scrap metal thefts

TAMPA -- When the boss at Commercial Metals asked his employees to keep an eye on the scrap yard by their home computer monitors on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, they agreed. The plant has been the target of scrap metal thefts for years.

Then, right before plant manager Coulter James sat down to his traditional ham and potato salad dinner on Christmas night, the phone rang.

Someone was in the yard, the caller said, carting away about 300 pounds of stainless steel pipes in a wheelbarrow.

The next morning, police arrested the trio they say is responsible for stealing scrap metal from the plant at 1900 N 62nd St. and reselling the valuable metals for cash.

Arrested were Nathaniel Anderson, 49 (top left), Richard Anderson, 29 (center), and Deja M. Wright, 18. Police say Nathaniel Anderson was responsible for Tuesday's burglary. Richard Anderson and Wright were found selling the metal Wednesday morning.

James credited investigators for good police work, but said the trio arrested Wednesday was only a fraction of the number of players involved in the burgeoning criminal enterprise of scrap metal thefts.

"As soon as we lock up this guy, it will be five more behind him," he said.

Fog advisory this morning

A lone seagull flies by while downtown Tampa, seen from Ballast Point Park, emerges through an early-morning fog this morning. [KEN HELLE | Times]

TAMPA BAY -- With visibility reduced to less than a quarter mile in some places, the National Weather Service in Ruskin issued a dense fog advisory for much of the Tampa Bay area this morning.

Forecasters are advising drivers to slow down, keep a safe distance between vehicles and use low-beam headlights. Expect highs from the mid 70s at the gulf beaches to around 80 inland. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest near the coast during the afternoon.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Hotel evacuated after lobby fire

BRANDON -- Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews are sorting out what caused a potted plant in the lobby of a hotel to catch fire this morning, causing a "smoked-up" lobby and forcing the evacuation of guests from the hotel.

Firefighters arrived at the Embassy Suites at 10220 Palm River Road about 4:30 a.m. after hotel personnel reported a burned plastic plant producing clouds of smoke in the lobby, Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Bruce Delk said in a statement. Hotel staff quickly extinguished the fire, but the heavy smoke lingered, triggering the hotel's smoke alarm.

Hotel guests were sent to a Hilton across the street, Delk said. They are expected to return to the Embassy Suites later this morning.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Shooting reported near USF campus in Tampa

Hillsborough County deputies responded to a report of shots fired at Palencia Apartments, 301 Pierre Place, just after 10:20 p.m. tonight.

According to sheriff's office officials, Taurean L. Capeheart, 24, was with a friend at his apartment in Building 134 at the complex, just west of the University of South Florida campus, when they were confronted by a man carrying a handgun. Capeheart reportedly pulled out his own handgun and they exchanged shots.

The suspect fled the scene. Capeheart was wounded in the left thigh and taken to St. Joseph Hospital.

Investigators found Capheart's handgun in the apartment, along with drug paraphernalia and drug residue. They believe the incident to be drug-related.

Deputies are searching the area for the suspect, described as a 6-foot-tall black man, 25 or 26 years old, with a husky build, stubbly beard and low cut hair, wearing dark jeans and a yellow shirt with stripes. Deputies warn he may still be armed with a handgun.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers, toll-free at 1-800-873-8477.

Ken Walker, Times staff writer

Man killed in mobile home park

TAMPA -- A man was shot and killed at Starlite Mobile Home Park in Dover around 9 p.m. Wednesday night, said Hillborough Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter.

Witnesses reportedly told investigators that Pascual Garcia Lopez, 27, was on the porch of his home at Lot 119 when he was approached by three men. They engaged Lopez in conversation before one of them pulled out a handgun and fired one shot, striking him in the chest. Lopez stumbled inside his home and died.

Investigators are still working at the scene. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, (813) 247-8200, or Crime Stoppers, toll-free at 1-800-873-8477.

Bookmark This Just In and return for more details when they become available.

S.I. Rosenbaum and Ken Walker, Times staff writers

Video shows man robbing CVS

Watch video

HOLIDAY -- Authorities today released video of a man robbing a CVS store on U.S. 19.

In the clips, the robber walked into the store, at 3511 U.S. 19, just after noon Dec. 13 and headed for the pharmacy. He wore sunglasses, shorts and a plaid dress shirt. A Pasco County sheriff’s report says he demanded several kinds of drugs from a pharmacist, threatening her with physical harm. The pharmacist complied, giving him a bottle of unspecified pills. He then walked out.

The robber is described as a white man, age 35 to 40, with straight brown hair, missing teeth, between 5-feet-9 and 5-feet-11, less than 200 pounds.

Anyone with information about this suspect may call Pasco Det. Chris Beaman at (800) 854-2862, ext. 7841.

--Molly Moorhead, Times staff writer

Semi, crane collide in rural Hillsborough County

Authorities investigate the scene of a fatal accident a crane and an 18 wheeler hauling fuel. [Skip O'Rourke | Times]

FORT LONESOME -- One person was killed and another injured this morning when a gasoline tanker truck collided with a crane on rural State Road 39 just south of County Road 674, Hillsborough County sheriff's officials said.

The truck driver was northbound on State Road 39 about 10:30 a.m. when he struck a crane that was crossing the road from west to east, investigators said. The truck driver was killed, and his body trapped inside the vehicle.

The cab of the truck was destroyed, but deputies said the tanker did not leak or catch fire.

The incident happened in front of the Mosaic Fertilizer Company's Four Corners mine.

The crane driver was taken by ambulance to South Bay Hospital. A sheriff's report said his injuries were not life threatening.

A portion of County Road 39 south to State Road 62 in Manatee County was expected to be closed until at least 3:30 p.m. today.

Please return to tampabay.com for updates.

-- Casey Cora and Jan Wesner, Times staff writers

One dead, four hurt in Pasco crash

HUDSON -– A Christmas afternoon car wreck at U.S. 19 and Little Road claimed one life and sent four people to the hospital, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, a Nissan Titan pickup truck driven by 34-year-old David Belniak rear-ended a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe while the SUV sat waiting at a red light facing north on U.S. 19, according to highway patrol officials. The impact sent the SUV rotating into the intersection, where it was struck again by the pickup truck. Both cars were severely damaged, according to the FHP.

A man in the SUV's back seat, 51-year-old Gerard O. Bassi, died at the scene.

Three others in the SUV - including driver Raymond C. McWilliams, 64, and passengers Linda A. McWilliams, 66, and Denise M. Bassi, 50 - were taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, highway patrol officials said.  Hospital officials say the McWilliams' are in critical condition. Denise Bassi's condition was not available.

Belniak, the pickup's driver was also taken to Bayfront Medical Center, where he remains in good condition.

The crash is still under investigation.

Little Road and US 19 were blocked for about an hour as rescue workers tended to the injured and cleared the scene.

Helen Anne Travis, Times staff writer

Missing boy found safe

TAMPA -- A 3-year-old boy who wandered away from a North Tampa apartment and sparked a widespread overnight search was found safe this morning, Hillsborough Sheriff's deputies said.

The boy was reported missing from the apartment at 13142 N 22nd St. about 3:45 a.m. Deputies
responded with 15 units and a bloodhound. The boy was spotted by neighbors at the apartment complex and safely returned shortly after 5 a.m.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Man shot near BayWalk on Christmas night

ST. PETERSBURG -- One person was shot, several were pepper-sprayed and at least four people were arrested after a series of disturbances near downtown's popular BayWalk shopping complex late Tuesday.

Ricardo Dyce, 20, was standing at the corner of First Avenue South and First Street just after 11 p.m. when police said a white, late model Dodge Charger drove by.  A passenger in the Dodge opened fire, striking Dyce once in the right calf, police said.

Witnesses told investigators they saw Dyce and the man believed to be the shooter arguing about remarks made to Dyce's girlfriend before the gunfire erupted. A bullet pierced through Dyce's calf.

It is unclear how many shots were fired, but police spokesman George Kajtsa said no shell casings were recovered at the scene.

Roughly a dozen emergency units responded. Dyce was taken to Bayfront Medical Center.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

About the same time, police said a person walking near Second Avenue NE and Beach Drive was punched and threatened with a handgun. The victims ran to the Pier to call police, Kajsta said. No arrests were made.

About 12:30 a.m., police said about eight people were fighting near the corner of Third Avenue N and First Street. After several attempts to disrupt the fight, an officer pepper-sprayed into the group, Kajtsa said.

After the fight, four people - Jessica N. Williams, 20, of St. Petersburg  and three juveniles - were each charged with one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, Kajtsa said.

Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Polk County deputy involved in Bartow wreck

BARTOW -- A Polk County Sheriff's Office detective was involved in a crash tonight in which a woman was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

Sheriff's Office officials say deputy Greg Wagner was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 17 in Bartow with his lights and siren on, responding to a report of a burglary in progress in Fort Meade. As he approached the Bay Street intersection, a Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Lakanya N. Jones, 29, of Lakeland entered the intersection in front of him and he hit it on the passenger side.

The impact reportedly spun Wagner's vehicle, crashing it into a concrete power pole. Investigators Wagner was taken to Bartow Regional Medical Center with back and chest pain, although he has been released and is expected to recover fully. His airbag deployed during the accident.

The Grand Prix driven by Jones came to rest about 120 feet south of the intersection on U.S. 17, Sheriff's Office officials said. She was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with contusions. She reportedly was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

A passenger in the Grand Prix, Sanetrise V. Coleman, 29, of Lakeland was reportedly trapped in the vehicle after the accident. After she was extricated by emergency workers, she was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with stomach pains. Her injuries were described as minor.

Polk County Sheriff's officials say the accident occurred when Jones entered the intersection in violation of traffic laws. An investigation is under way.

Ken Walker, Times staff writer

Tampa police officer shoots dog

TAMPA — A police officer shot a pit bull in the chest Monday after a pair of strays attacked, police said. Two women called police for help about 3:30 p.m. when they encountered the dogs in their yard at 1214 E. Cayuga St., and officer D.C. Grau responded, police reported. As the officer escorted the women to their vehicle, the dogs attacked, one biting the Taser holster on Grau’s waist, police said. Grau shot that dog and the other was captured by Animal Services, which took custody of both. The officer was not injured. The dog’s condition was not known.

--Times staff

Man sexually assaults sleeping 14-year-old

DOVER -- A 27-year-old Ruskin man sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl while she slept in her bedroom this morning, deputies said.

Daniel Garcia Jr., of 806 6th St., climbed on top of the girl around 6:30 a.m. and assaulted her with his fingers, according to a criminal arrest report. The girl was scared and tried to call for help, but he told her to be silent.

Garcia was arrested shortly after the attack and he admitted to the encounter, sheriff's deputies said. He was charged with kidnapping to commit a felony on a child and sexual battery of a physically helpless person.

It was unclear how Garcia entered the girl's Dover home, but sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said he knew the girl.   

-- Emily Nipps, Times staff writer

Sales by Progress Energy completes divestiture strategy

On Christmas Eve, North Carolina-based energy company Progress Energy — parent of Progress Energy Florida — said it will sell three divisions for $94-million. The sale, says Bill Johnson, company chief executive, strengthens Progress Energy’s bottom line but also reduces “the overall risk profile of the company.” Units to be sold are Powell Mountain Coal Co. and Dulcimer Land Co., made up of 30,000 acres and 40-million tons of coal reserves in Lee County, Va., and Harlan County, Ken. Also to be sold is Kanawha River Terminals used for shipping and storing coal on the Ohio River. The buyer is an investor group made up of Pegasus Capital Advisors LP, Kelso & Co., Resource Capital Funds and Traxys Projects.

The deals complete a plan to unload various subsidiaries unrelated to its core electricity business.
Since buying the St. Petersburg-based Florida Progress Corp. and its electric utility in 2001 and doubling its size, Progress Energy has sold more than $4-billion in assets, including a railway, telecommunications company and natural-gas operations.

Robert Trigaux, Times staff writer

Man dies in mobile home fire

TAMPA -- A 64-year-old man died Monday morning after firefighters pulled him from his burning mobile home at 4801 E. Hillsborough Ave.

Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Jace Kohan said the fire appeared to be accidental, and likely started because the man was smoking in bed. When firefighters entered the home, which had no working smoke detectors, the man was found unconscious at the opposite end from where the fire started.

The man was transported by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital, where he died of second degree burns to his face and neck. Although the burns were not serious, he sistained heavy smoke inhalation, which probably caused his death, Kohan said.

-- Times staff writer

Fire guts Brooksville home

[MAURICE RIVENBARK | Times]

BROOKSVILLE -- A fire quickly spread through a wood-framed home about 9:30 a.m. today, leaving several people homeless on Christmas Eve.

Berdie Hopkins, her daughter Rose and grandson Phillip watched as the home, located on the 7200 block of Mobley Rd. burned. Hopkins, 63, has lived in the tin-roofed home for 46 years.

No one was injured. The Hernando County Fire Department is still on the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

- Logan Neill, Times staff writer

Death investigated in Lithia

LITHIA -- A death investigation is underway after Hillsborough County authorities found a pedestrian dead at Browning and Dorman roads about 5:30 a.m. this morning.

Christopher McKenna, 23, of 1005 Pelote Cemetery Rd. appeared to have been struck by a vehicle. Authorities do not have a description of the vehicle as there were no witnesses, sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

Authorities are still investigating.

Please return to This Just In for updates.

Man, 25, injured during stabbing in the woods

PINELLAS PARK -- A homeless man was hospitalized Sunday after a fight in the woods escalated into a stabbing, police said.

Police say 25-year-old Robert Burton and another man began fighting around 8:15 p.m. in the woods near the 13300 block of 49th Street. That location is several blocks from the Pinellas Hope temporary tent village, but it is unclear at this hour whether Burton or the suspect resided there.

Burton was stabbed and taken to Bayfront Medical Center, where hospital officials this morning say he remains in critical condition.

Police described the suspect as a 38 to 45-year-old white male, about 5 foot 5 and 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a camouflage T-shirt over a white T-shirt with a Tampa Bay Devil Rays logo on the front and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pinellas Park Police Department at 727-541-0758.

-- Casey Cora, Times staff writer

Police arrest unlicensed assisted living facility operator

Tampa Police arrested the operator of an unlicensed assisted living facility Sunday night on three charges of elder abuse.

Police records listed the suspect’s name as Mary Alford. Further information about her was not immediately available.

The investigation began about 7 p.m. when police responded to a fight at 1716 W. Chestnut St.
When they arrived, they found five elderly tenants living in the unlicensed facility. There was no caregiver present and conditions were “sub-standard,” according to the police report.

One resident complained of a severe headache and was transferred to St. Joseph’s Hospital, according to Tampa Fire Rescue Spokesman Jace Kohan.

Two other residents were placed with friends and two were in the care of the state Department of Children and Families.

The three residents who were allegedly abused ranged in age from 55 to 84.
Kohan described the conditions inside the dilapidated concrete block home as “bad” and “dirty.”

No one answered the door at the home later in the evening. The screen door stood ajar and some of the windows were missing screens. A velour recliner and a plastic chair sat on the small front porch.
Hillsborough County property records list the owners of the house as Paul and Arentha Alford. Police said Mary Alford is a related to them.

Records show the house as measuring 392 square feet with one bedrom and one bathroom, plus a 336-square-foot enclosed porch.The Alford’s have owned it since 1983.

Reached by phone Sunday night, Paul Alford said he did not live at the house and was not there when Mary Alford was arrested. He refused to comment further.

--- Jan Wesner, Times Staff Writer

Two dead in late-night accident

ZEPHYRHILLS - A motorist and his passenger were killed late Saturday night in a two-car accident on Lane Road.

Florida Highway Patrol identified the driver as Harry R. Hutto, 25, of Plant City. Troopers did not name his 31-year-old passenger, saying the family had not yet been notified.

According to a news release from the highway patrol, Hutto was headed south in a two-door Hyundai on Lane Road at a high rate of speed. He drove onto the grassy shoulder, steered left to get back on the road and lost control, rotating counter-clockwise and hitting a northbound Chevrolet 150 driven by Jeffery Gazella of Zephyrhills.

Troopers say Hutto and his passenger were killed in the collision. Gazella had minor injuries. The investigation continues.

--Times staff writer

Citrus Park home destroyed by fire

TAMPA -- An artificial Christmas tree appeared to be the cause of a serious house fire that destroyed a home in Citrus Park Sunday morning.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Bruce Delk said that the owner of the home at 5825 Bitter Orange Ave. plugged in the tree, tripping the home's electrical circuit breaker. The breaker was reset, but when the homeowner left and returned to the living room, the tree was on fire.

Two people were transported to St. Joseph's Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. Two others were asleep at the home, fire rescue officials said, and the homeowner's granddaughter and her friend had to escape through a bedroom window.

Eight fire rescue vehicles and 24 workers responded to the home, which was "totally devastated," according to Delk. Investigators are still confirming the official cause of the fire, though all evidence points to the tree.

-- Emily Nipps, Times staff writer

Westchase jogger recants abduction story

A woman who told authorities she was attacked while jogging on Countryway Boulevard in Westchase Wednesday recanted her story, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokesman said Saturday.

"There was some type of domestic situation between her and her husband, and she felt a need to go to the extreme measure to make up a story," J.D. Callaway said. "She fabricated the whole incident."

The woman, who has not been identified, told officials she fended off her attacker -- who she described as a 6-foot-1, 210-pound white man, age 25 to 30 -- by clinging to a tree. She described the suspect in great detail, telling deputies he wore a mask, gloves, a dark jacket with a drawstring hood and dark pants.

The Hillsborough Sheriff's Office dispatched a K-9 unit and helicopters to search for a suspect. Friday, two days after the woman reported being attacked, she changed her story, Callaway said. She will not face charges.

Rodney Thrash, Times staff writer

Pipe bomb found at scrap yard

TARPON SPRINGS -- A pipe bomb was found at a scrap metal recycling business around 11:30 a.m. this morning, according to officials.

While sorting through a pile of metal an employee at Anclote Metal found what appeared to be a bomb, according to reports by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

The business alerted law enforcement. Hillsborough County's Sheriff's Office Bomb Disposal Team responded to the scene. About 15 employees had to be evacuated from the building, located at 806 Anclote Road. The bomb, which was rendered safe at about 3:15 p.m., was included in a load of scrap metal dropped off at the site. It's unknown who dropped it off.

Officials declined to describe what the bomb looked like, but Sgt. Jim Bordner, spokesman for hte sheriff's office, said it appeared to be a "crudely made homemade explosive device." Deputies continue to investigate the case.

Nicole Hutcheson, Times staff writer

Boy hit by SUV

DUNEDIN -- An 11-year-old boy was seriously injured when an SUV struck him as he crossed a street in the crosswalk late Friday. The SUV fled the scene, deputies said, without stopping or slowing down.

Travis L. Craig of 92 Knollwood Drive in Dunedin suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

The boy and a 13-year-old friend were crossing Patricia Avenue in Dunedin from east to west at the Beltrees Street intersection as they returned from a bowling alley around 11 p.m. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said the older boy made it across safely.

But Craig, wearing dark clothing as he crossed the street on a skateboard, was hit by a dark-colored SUV. Deputies said the area was not well lit.

Investigators said the SUV probably has front-end damage. They said anyone with information about the vehicle or its driver should call Jim Piper of the Pinellas sheriff's Major Accident Investigation Team at (727) 582-6200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS.

William R. Levesque, Times staff writer

St. Pete's Universal Health Care admits violations

After nearly a year of legal battles, Florida insurance regulators reached an agreement today with Universal Health Care and Universal Health Care Insurance Co.

Insurance commissioner Kevin McCarty had recommended liquidating the St. Petersburg-based Medicare insurer in February after it failed to meet a state-imposed deadline for shoring up its financial reserves.

According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Universal Health Care Insurance admitted to failing to file complete quarterly financial statements and to having significantly underestimated its 2007 nationwide premiums by more than $816-million, exceeding the initial projections of $56-million.

"This left the company with insufficient policyholder surplus required to support the volume of business projected, placing it in a hazardous financial position," regulators said in a statement.

Bank robbed in St. Petersburg

[St. Petersburg Police Department]

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police have released this photograph of a man who robbed the First State Bank at 2832 Fourth St. N this morning.

Police say the man appeared to be in his forties and had a pudgy face, goatee and a dark wool dress cap.

Anyone with information can call police at (727) 893-7780.

Times staff writer

BlackRock fund having liquidity problems

The money manager called on to rescue a troubled state investment fund is having some troubles of its own.

BlackRock Inc. suspended cash redemptions on the $1-billion BlackRock Cash Strategies LLC fund because of liquidity problems. BlackRock told investors that they'd have to take securities instead of cash if they wanted out. The fund only has 25 investors, all of them large institutions, and all of them decided to remain in the fund, BlackRock said.

Unlike Florida's Local Government Investment Pool, the BlackRock fund was not designed to be run like a money market fund, but was considered an "enhanced" cash managment fund. BlackRock officials declined to say exactly what investments were in the fund, but said it was likely that some are similar to those in the Florida fund, which BlackRock is now managing. The Florida fund's primary problem has been mortgage-backed securities, which investors no longer want to buy because of problems in the credit markets.

Helen Huntley, Times staff writer