Police arrest two in stolen car after report of gunfire in Ybor

TAMPA -- A report of gunfire in the Ybor City area resulted in the arrest of two people, one of them armed, after police briefly chased a stolen car early Monday, authorities said.

Investigators said Jerome Lamar Joe, 19, of Holiday and Isaac Flowers, 19, of Clearwater were spotted by police at N Nebraska Avenue and E Floribraska Avenue inside a purple Plymouth Breeze matching the description of a vehicle involved in a "shots fired" call about 12:50 a.m., Tampa police Lt. William Ferguson said in a statement.

After determining that the car stolen from Pasco County last week, officers boxed the vehicle in at Nebraska Avenue and E Third Avenue. Police said Joe jumped in the seat and Flowers was making "furtive movements" before a search of the car revealed gloves, an unspecified quantity of rock cocaine and a screwdriver said by police to be used in automobile burglaries.

Flowers was holding a Beretta 92 9mm pistol under his leg, police said.

Joe, the driver, was charged with grand-theft auto, auto burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of rock cocaine and being a habitual traffic offender. Flowers, the passenger, was charged with grand-theft auto, auto burglary, possession of burglary tools and carrying a concealed firearm. He also was arrested on charges stemming from a Pinellas County warrant.

Police said the reports of gunfire in Ybor City were unfounded.

- Casey Cora, Times staff writer