Tampa man charged with beating up pregnant girlfriend

TAMPA -- A Tampa man was arrested Wednesday, accused of beating up his pregnant girlfriend in September, according to a police arrest report.

On. Sept. 17, Dan Preysley Dorcilien, 32, of 9903 N Myrtle St., pushed and choked the woman, who had been living with him for four months, before throwing her to the ground and repeatedly punching her in the face, the report states.

She called the police. Witnesses supported her story.

Dorcilien was arrested two weeks later at a Temple Terrace address and charged with aggravated assault on a pregnant woman with minor injuries.

He's being held at the Orient Road Jail. No bail has been set.

Robbyn Mitchell, Times staff writer

[Photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office]

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Scriven takes federal judge oath

TAMPA -- Mary Scriven, a federal magistrate in Tampa, was sworn in today as a U.S. district judge during an informal ceremony at the downtown Tampa federal courthouse.

Scriven's nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week. President Bush signed her commission on Tuesday. She begins her new post Friday at the federal courthouse in Orlando, where she will fill a vacancy created by retiring U.S. District Judge Patricia C. Fawsett.

Senior U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew, who administered the oath, called Scriven an extraordinary person and a friend.

"For us, she's been a rock," Bucklew said of Scriven's tenure as a magistrate judge.

A formal investiture service will be held in December.

Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

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Stay in jail, judge tells deadbeat dad

TAMPA -- A man sentenced to prison for failing to pay thousands in child support had an offer for the court Wednesday: Let me out, Danny J. Collins said, and I'll pay the nearly $25,000 in support I owe.

Collins' boss offered to pay the debt, saying he had invested too much time and money in training Collins, who worked for him as a subcontractor. He agreed to pay the back child support if Collins' one-year prison sentence was reduced to probation.

The mother of Collins' son, who has been trying to get support from him for years, was in favor of the idea.

But U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, who sentenced the Weedsport, N.Y., resident last month, said no way.

"I'm unaccustomed to having someone offer to pay money to anyone in exchange for a reduction in a sentence," Merryday said.

Collins met his 14-year-old son, Brandon Wilder, who lives in Seminole, for the first time on Sept. 2, the day he showed up to be sentenced for failing to pay $29,478 in child support he owed at the time.

Deliberately failing to pay child support became a federal crime in the 1990s. It's a misdemeanor if the past due amount is greater than $5,000 and has remained unpaid for more than a year. It's a felony if the amount is greater than $10,000 and has remained unpaid for at least two years, which was the case for Collins.

Kevin Graham, Times staff writer

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Teacher's aide charged with child abuse

TAMPA -- A teacher's aide at Edison Elementary's Head Start program was arrested this morning at the school after police said she used a belt on a family member in May, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Police charged Debra Broxton (left), 56, of 3409 Lambright St. E, with child abuse on a warrant from May, when a child told officers that Broxton spanked him with a belt. Police said the child had bruises on his left arm, left leg and back.

Broxton admitted to spanking the boy and was arrested without incident, police said. She's currently at the Hillsborough County Jail on a bail of $2,000.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

[Photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office]

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Tampa police bust yields $11,000 in drugs

TAMPA -- A 32-year-old Tampa man is in jail today after police seized $11,000 worth of drugs from his apartment Tuesday afternoon, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Joseph Cousin of 3013 N 48th St. (pictured) was charged with armed trafficking in cocaine, marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession when Tampa police officers searched his apartment on a warrant. Deputies said police found more than 100 grams of cocaine, 132 grams of marijuana, two rifles and body armor. Officers also seized Cousin's 1999 Ford Expedition and more than $2,000 in cash.

Cousin is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail on $52,500 bail, according to jail records.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

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Tyrone dragnet ends with arrest of three Tampa men

ST. PETERSBURG -- Around lunchtime the homeowner pulled into her driveway -- and three strange men walked out the front door of her Seminole home.

That sparked a brief car chase and a two-hour manhunt in the Tyrone area by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and the St. Petersburg Police Department. Deputies say the search ended late this afternoon with another break-in and the arrest of three Tampa men.

Now sheriff's detectives are exploring a possible link between the three men and a spate of similar burglaries in mid Pinellas, according to Sgt. Jim Bordner.

Deputies identified the three as Britton Arline, 21, of 8620 N 14th St., Demetrick Jenrette, 23, of 1416 Bougainvillea Avenue E, and Maurice Boyer, 24, of 5410 Temple Elm Lane. Each was arrested on two counts of burglary and one count of possession of burglary tools. Jenrette could be charged with grand theft auto, too, deputies said.

Police say Tampa man cut ex-girlfriend's throat

TAMPA -- A 41-year-old Tampa man was charged with attempted murder early this morning after he held a knife to a woman's throat during an argument and threatened to kill her, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Richard Allen Wells, 4319 40th St. N, (pictured) was arguing with ex-girlfriend Candy Snellenberger, 42, around 1:15 a.m. at 9209 Patterson St. when he held the knife to her throat and cut her under the chin, police said.

Snellenberger was trying to break off her two-month relationship with Wells, deputies said. She fled the scene and was found by deputies near 40th and Chelsea streets. Wells was charged with attempted murder and taken to the Hillsborough County Jail, where he remains without bail.

Deputies said Snellenberger was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. She was treated and released, according to Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

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Mulberry man not injured after fall from Skyway pier

ST. PETERSBURG -- A 47-year-old Mulberry man who fell from the south fishing pier of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was not injured, according to the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue Marine Unit.

Rescuers said Richard Allen Khoory slipped on sardines he was using for bait while fishing on the pier and fell in. The Coast Guard scooped Khoory out of the water and took him to shore, where Manatee County paramedics examined him and found him not injured.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

[Photo: St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue]

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Lithia man charged with sexual battery

LITHIA -- A 36-year-old Lithia man was charged late Tuesday night with sexual battery on someone younger than 12, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said the offenses happened about 50 times beginning in August of 2006 when the girl was 11.

Daniel Suk' Ki' Oh Gay of 15916 Fishhawk Creek Lane, whose arrest affidavit states that he is unemployed, gave deputies a videotaped confession when they arrested him at his home near midnight on Tuesday.

Gay was charged with felony sexual battery, lewd and lascivious behavior and sexual battery on a person younger than 12, according to his arrest report. He was taken to the Hillsborough County jail where he remains without bail.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

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Tampa man charged with assault after scuffle with son over handgun

TAMPA -- An argument over money between a Tampa father and son grew violent late Tuesday night when the father armed himself with a handgun, Tampa Police Department officials say.

Police said Jerry Woodson (left), 59, and son Roosevelt Woodson, 21, were struggling over the gun around 11 p.m. inside their home at 2658 Pioneer Days Lane when the gun went off twice. The first bullet went through a wall, narrowly missing others who live there, police said. According to an arrest affidavit from the Hillsborough County Sherriff's Office, another son was struck in the arm when the gun was discharged a second time.

Because police said 10 people live at the residence and were put in danger, the elder Woodson was charged with 10 counts of culpable negligence, in addition to an aggravated assault charge, and taken to the Hillsborough County Jail. The younger Woodson was charged with domestic violence battery, according to police.

Police said there were no serious injuries.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

[Photo: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office]

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Motorcyclist dies after Tuesday crash

BROOKSVILLE -- A 62-year-old motorcyclist died at St. Joseph's Hospital on Tuesday after being struck by a van, according to Florida Highway Patrol.

Around 1:40 p.m., Karl Nathan Niski of Ocala was driving his 1991 Honda motorcycle on U.S. 19 when Barbara J. Adams, 67, of Weeki Wachee pulled out from St. Andrews Boulevard in a 2006 Chrysler van, troopers said. Adams, who was coming from the east, stopped at the stop sign but did not yield to Niski, who was traveling south, and hit him.

Niski was airlifted to St. Joseph's, where he died. Adams was not injured and was charged with violating the right of way, troopers said.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

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