Page 35 - Florida Sentinel 3-4-16 Edition

Crime
Student Destroys Toy Gun Brought To School
Police Searching For Armed Suspects In Home Invasion
Two armed men forced their way into a residence early Thursday and fled with jewelry and other property. Although the occupants were restrained with zip ties, no injuries were reported.
According to the Tampa Po- lice Department, shortly after 2 a.m., Thursday, the two men forced their way into the resi- dence in the 1400 block of W.
Yukon. Once inside, they de- manded property from the vic- tims.
Before leaving the residence, the suspects tied the two vic- tims with zip ties. The suspects were only described as one Black man and one Hispanic man.
No injuries were reported to police. The names of the vic- tims were not released.
Shooting Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder
On Wednesday, the police launched an investigation after learning about a gun being brought on the school bus and to school. Police later learned that it was a plastic toy gun.
According to police, a teacher at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School contacted officials about the possibility of a gun being on campus. The teacher learned about the incident from a note passed by an un- known student.
Once officials launched the investigation, they were able to interview all of the students on the bus in which the gun was transported individually. A 7th grade student admitted that he had broken up the gun and threw the pieces in a nearby storm drain. He told police he destroyed it because it be- longed to his friend and he did not want his friend to get into trouble.
The student took the School Resource Officer to the drain where he disposed of the toy and pieces of it were retrieved.
Police then identified the friend, a 6th grade student, and confirmed that he had brought the plastic gun to school in his backpack. The student said he brought it to school to “destroy it.”
Police said neither of the boys will be criminally charged in the incident at this time. If they are disciplined, it will be handled by the Pinellas County School District. All of the par- ents of students who rode that particular bus were notified.
The names of the students were not released because of their ages.
Two Arrested In Armed Home Invasion
DARRYL KEITH ATKINS ... 2005 Arrest Photo Charged with attempted first- degree murder
RICKY E. SIMMONS
... 2010 Arrest Photo Recovering from a gunshot wound
A 52-year-old St. Petersburg man was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with at- tempted first-degree murder. He was arrested without inci- dent.
According to the St. Peters- burg Police Department, shortly after 8 p.m., police re- sponded to the 1000 block of 16th Street, South in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, of- ficers learned that Ricky Eu- gene Simmons, 50, had been shot. Simmons was trans- ported to Bayfront Health and was listed in stable condition.
During the investigation, po- lice learned that Simmons was in the 1500 block of James Avenue, South around 8 p.m., Monday, when an acquain- tance called him over to his parked car. Once Simmons
arrived, the man allegedly shot Simmons once and drove away.
Simmons went to the 3 Brothers Convenience Store, 1040 16th Street, South on foot. Once he reached the store, someone notified police.
Police said the two men had possibly been involved in some type of altercation last week. After learning the identity of the suspect, police began searching for Darryl Keith Atkins. Atkins was located early Monday in the 1500 block of Scranton Street, South and was taken into custody without incident.
Atkins refused to talk with police and was transported to the Pinellas County Jail, where he was charged with attempted first-degree murder.
JOSHUA A. PEE
ANTHONY R. JEFFERIES
Two Victims Injured In Separate Stabbing Attacks
Two men were arrested Wednesday night and charged. They are accused of commit- ting a home invasion at an East Tampa apartment com- plex.
According to police, three Black men entered the apart- ment of Michael Gencal, 30, who lives in the Meridian Point Apartment Complex. All three had their faces covered and one was armed with a handgun.
Once inside, the men took wallets, a lap top, cell phones, and an iPad before fleeing the scene.
A short time after fleeing the scene, members of the ROC Squad 232 observed two men fitting the description of the suspects. The officers made contact with the men and both ran.
Police apprehended An- thony R. Jefferies, 23, on N. 24th Street. He was charged with giving a false name to law enforcement, resisting an offi- cer without violence, failure of sex offender to report, and there was an out-of-county warrant for his arrest. He is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail without bond.
However, 27-year-old Joshua A. Pee, of Delray Beach, is alleged to have
jumped a barbed wire fence and ran toward the Grande Oaks Apartment Complex. When the officers intercepted him, Pee allegedly resisted and shoved one of the officers. He was arrested after being subdued.
Police said he received lac- erations during the struggle and was transported to St. Joseph Hospital, where he was treated and released.
During the investigation, one of the victims identified Pee as the person who com- mitted the robbery. He was not sure about Jefferies, po- lice said.
While Pee was at the hospi- tal being treated for his in- juries, police said an officer caught him trying to remove two phones hidden deep be- tween his buttocks. Both phones belonged to the vic- tims.
Pee had three outstanding warrants for his arrest, two of which were from Palm Beach County for burglary and grand theft. The third was from Pinellas County for failure to appear for Criminal Mischief. Pee was charged with resist- ing arrest with violence, bat- tery on a law enforcement officer, possession of cannabis, and robbery home invasion.
Two law enforcement agen- cies in Pinellas County are in- vestigating stabbing incidents that took place earlier this week.
The first incident took place on Tuesday, when Clearwater Police learned that a man had been stabbed at 710 Pennsylva- nia Avenue. He was trans- ported to Bayfront Health as a trauma alert.
The man’s identity or any other information has not been released. However, police do not believe it was a random act of violence.
The second incident was in- vestigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department. Around 3
a.m., on Wednesday, a passer- by discovered a woman lying on the ground in the area of 4th Street South, and Dali Blvd., and called police.
When police arrived, they discovered that 68-year-old Loreen Theresa Chopin had been stabbed several times in the head and body.
Based on the information obtained from the victim, she was walking when a man on a bicycle rode up to her and stabbed her.
Police said she was trans- ported to Bayfront Health, but her wounds did not appear to be life-threatening. The inves- tigation into both stabbings is continuing.
UNCLE SANDY SAYS...
When I was young 33, 38, 59, 62 I thought that money was the most important thing in life; 3, 14, 16, 19 now that I am old 6, 11, 50, 55 I know that it is. 43, 48, 58, 64.
FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 23-A