Crime & Safety
OMG PD: Purses Stolen; Driver Crashes into Pawn Shop
We compile the odd, unusual "oh my gosh" police items from throughout the Tampa Bay region.
by Jason Bartolone
Thieves Snag $3K in Brahmin Purses
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies are on the lookout for two women they say swiped 10 purses valued at more than $3,000.
The crime took place around 10:05 a.m. May 21 when two women walked into the Westfield Citrus Park Dillard’s, 9161 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, and helped themselves to 10 Brahmin purses and then proceeded to walk out of the store.
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Elderly Driver Crashes Into Pawn Shop
An elderly motorist who mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brake slammed his silver Cadillac into the Quick Cash Pawn shop Tuesday in Clearwater.The vehicle plowed through the wall and drove all the way inside the store, according to Clearwater Police.
The unnamed driver suffered minor cuts and was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital. A passenger in the vehicle with him was not injured.
Largo Woman Splashed Acid on Victim, Police Say
A Largo woman remains in the Pinellas County Jail after allegedly splashing a male victim's face with acid.ABC Action News reports that Melissa D. Egbert faces a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, after police allege she threw muriatic acid on the victim.
The Tampa Bay Times reported Tuesday that a surveillance camera at a residence showed the alleged crime take place.
4-Year-Old, Dad Attacked by Family Dogs
A pair of family dogs bit a 4-year-old child and attacked her dad as he lifted her away from the labrador and pit bull mix Thursday night, St. Petersburg Police said.The girl was taken to All Children's Hospital for treatment of facial wounds, and the dogs were seized by Pinellas County Animal Control, according to police.
Man Accused of Screwdriver Attack
A New Port Richey resident stands accused of attacking a man with a screwdriver.
Steven Ramoni, 58, swung the screwdriver at the man several times June 15, according to an arrest report from the New Port Richey Police Department.
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Prior to “attempting to stab the victim with the screwdriver,” Ramoni told someone he was going to kill the man, according to the report.
Feces-Filled Home Leads to Child Neglect Charges
Two teenagers were removed from a Bradenton home that deputies found to be covered with urine and feces and without power, officials said Thursday.
Patrol units showed up at the home in the 1700 block of Marilyn Avenue around 3:30 a.m. Thursday on an unrelated call when they discovered the filthy conditions.
The floors were covered with animal feces and urine and the beds "infected with bed bugs," according to a Manatee County Sheriff's report.
"There were dishes piled up in the sink and the bathroom floors were covered in urine and feces," the report states.
A 15-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl were removed from the home.
The parents, 57-year-old Marvin Nichols and 47-year-old Lori Nichols, are charged with child neglect.
Husband Charged After Sleeping Wife Shot in the Face
A Bradenton man is being held in the Manatee County Jail with no bond, after police say he shot his wife in the face Friday night as she slept.
Steven Pinel faces an attempted murder charge, as well as charges of domestic battery by strangulation and attempted car jacking.
Bradenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski told the Bradenton Herald that the suspect's gun malfunctioned, preventing the suspect from firing additional rounds.
Pinel was arrested after crashing his vehicle off State Road 70 and Interstate 75.
Pinel also faces a charge of attempted car jacking after he pulled on a gun on a motorist who stopped to offer help when his vehicle crashed. He was arrested by police while walking through a subdivision.
$1,000 Necklace Snatched at DeSoto Square Mall
A woman had a $1,000 necklace snatched from her neck at the DeSoto Square mall Tuesday evening, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office reports.
The 23-year-old woman was inside the Bradenton mall shortly before 7 p.m. when a teen boy grabbed the necklace and fled by the movie theater, according to the report.
Mall security chased the teen suspect to Astro Skate Family Fun Center nearby but lost him heading east toward Mira Lago Apartments, the report states.
Driver With Child in Pickup Spits Crack Cocaine at Traffic Stop, Deputies Say
A 32-year-old driver pulled over for a routine traffic stop faces drug charges, after Sarasota deputies say that she tried to hide crack cocaine in her mouth.
Her 48-year-old companion faces drug and child abuse charges, after the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office alleges that he brought along a 6-year-old child and assisted in an alleged drug purchase just prior to the arrests.
When a deputy pulled over Fallon Miller and Gregory Wagner, with the child sitting between them, he said he observed a small chunk of what appeared to be white crack cocaine inside Miller's mouth.
He said that he grabbed her jaw and ordered her to spit it out, but Miller pushed her finger inside her mouth, allegedly trying to swallow the drugs.
The deputy pulled her hand from Miller's mouth and again ordered her to spit out the cocaine. A struggle ensued, causing her to spit out the cocaine, or the drug to fall from her mouth.
Man Stole Thousands From 92-Year-Old Woman, Authorities Say
A man is accused of stealing several thousand dollars' worth of household items and jewelry from a 92-year-old Sarasota woman who had hired him to do yard work and odd jobs around her home.
It's the 20th time Joseph Schum, 45, has been arrested for similar crimes, as well as burglary, aggravated assault and possession of crack cocaine, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
A few months after hiring him, the victim realized she was missing numerous items, including “International” sterling silver dinnerware, “Minton” china, a gold necklace with a rare silver Spanish coin and possibly cash, sheriff's spokesperson Wendy Rose said.
Detectives learned Schum, whose last known address was in the 2900 block of Bougainvillea Street, had pawned some of these items in January and February of this year.
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