Page 41 - Florida Sentinel 3-11-22

Crime Carjacking Suspect Leads
Standoff Ends With Hostages Safe; Man Takes Own Life
Police On Chase, Faces 31 Charges
Last Wednesday, a hostage situation in Pinellas Park ended when the suspect took his own life. The three hostages were released un- harmed before the fatal shooting.
According to the Pinellas Park Police Department, at approximately 1010 a. m., Pinellas Park officers re- sponded to a 9-1-1 hang up in the 4500 block of 76th Av- enue. When officers arrived on scene and approached the door, one shot was fired from the inside of the resi- dence striking a vehicle just outside the front door of the apartment.
Officers evacuated the surrounding apartments, while attempting to commu-
released uninjured. Officers continued to negotiate with the male subject, and the re- maining hostage was re- leased around 3:19 p. m., uninjured.
Negotiations continued with the suspect until ap- proximately 4:05 p. m., when officers attempted to make entry into the apart- ment. At that time multiple shots were heard by officers within the residence.
Officers made entry into the apartment and found the suspect deceased of a self-in- flicted gunshot wound.
He was identified as 37- year-old Lee Michael Thrall, of Pinellas County. The investigation is continu- ing.
A 27-year-old Pinellas County man is facing several charges, including carjacking and driving under the influ- ence. Kenneth Wayne Lunford, Jr., was arrested shortly after 4 p. m., Sunday.
Deputies responded to the Dunedin Cove Motel, 1220 Main Street, in Dunedin after receiving a re- port of two men physically fighting. When deputies ar- rived, it was discovered that Lunford was engaged in a physical al- tercation with another man following a drug transaction. Lunford then allegedly took the man’s car keys and fled the scene in the vehicle.
An alert was placed on the vehicle notifying other offi- cers in the area that the car had been stolen.
According to deputies, Lunford drove recklessly through Clearwater, Largo, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach and Indian Rocks Beach, fleeing from multiple Clearwater officers who at- tempted to stop him.
Deputies said Lunford attempted to carjack another vehicle at a traffic light while driving on Gulf Boulevard in Indian Rocks Beach, but was unsuccessful.
As Lunford approached Gulf Boulevard and 4th Av- enue in Indian Rocks Beach, he reportedly struck two ve- hicles, jumped out of the stolen vehicle, and then car- jacked another vehicle. He continued on in the second stolen vehicle southbound on Gulf Boulevard.
Deputies said Lunford continued to drive recklessly before crashing into another vehicle in the park- ing lot of 11925 Gulf Boule- vard in Indian Shores.
KENNETH WAYNE LUNFORD, JR.
Lunford then drove east behind the building before crashing the vehicle again into a fence and partially off the seawall. Lunford fled from the vehicle on foot through the mangroves and waded into the inter- costal waterway.
At approximately 4:55 p. m., Marine Unit deputies took Lunford into custody from the water and he was transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
Lunford was charged by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and Clearwater Police Department with two counts of carjacking; one count of attempted carjacking; nine counts of driving under the influence with property dam- age; two counts of driving under the influence with property damage; twelve counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage; one count robbery by sudden snatching; one count resisting an officer with violence; and three counts of fleeing and eluding.
There were no significant injuries reported throughout this incident. The investiga- tion continues.
LEE MICHAEL THRALL
nicate with the male subject. Officers determined there were a total of three hostages in the apartment (two juve- nile females and one adult (female).
Shortly after noon, the two juvenile hostages were
Man Who Distributed Narcotics While On Bond, Gets 15 Years
A Clearwater man, ac- cused of distributing drugs while on bond, pleaded guilty to the charge on December 9, 2021. Last week, a U. S. Dis- trict judge sentenced him to serve time in federal prison. He had posted bond after he was caught on surveillance conducting the transaction.
Judge William F. Jung sentenced 37-year-old Jarran Riley to 15 years in federal prison for distribut- ing narcotics. Riley had pleaded guilty on December 9, 2021.
According to court docu- ments, on June 5, 2019, at approximately 10:30 p. m., detectives from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office re- sponded to the Dunedin Cove Motel regarding the opioid overdose death of N. R. On the same day, detec- tives interviewed Heidi Kalous who had distributed the narcotics to N. R. Motel video surveillance and phone records showed that Kalous had obtained the narcotics from Riley before Kalous distributed them to the vic- tim.
JARRAN RILEY Riley later distributed
narcotics to confidential in- formants on two occasions in August 2019.
On October 8, 2019, Riley was arrested for flee- ing and eluding, a state of- fense, and was released on a bond the same day. Approxi- mately 14 hours after bond- ing out of state custody, on October 8, 2019, Riley was captured on video surveil- lance distributing controlled substances to M. J. Less than five hours later, M. J. was pronounced dead, the result of a multi-drug over- dose.
The following day, Riley was arrested again by local
HEIDI KALOUS
law enforcement. On No- vember 15, 2019, Riley posted bond and was re- leased from state custody. While on bond for his state distribution offenses, and after N. R. and M. J. had died, Riley continued to dis- tribute fentanyl and cocaine, doing so on January 21, 23, and January 28, 2020.
On February 12, 2020, agents executed a federal search warrant at Riley’s residence, and Riley was taken into federal custody.
Kalous was also charged with drug distribution of- fenses. On February 24, 2022, she was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.
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