Page 19 - 3-17-15 Tuesday's Edition

Crime
Help Needed In Identifying
Riot At Juvenile Detention Center
Auto Burglary Suspects
Tampa Police responded to a disturbance/riot that oc- curred Sunday at the Les Pe- ters Juvenile Corrections Academy at 3930 West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Police said 25 juveniles
Wrong Way Driver Crashes Into Police Car
MADISON PRATT BEST ... Charged with DUI
St. Petersburg police ar- rested a 21-year-old woman and charged her after she re- ported crashed into a marked police cruiser. She was driving the wrong way at the time of the accident.
According to police, shortly after 3 a.m., Friday, Officer Antonio Romeu, 32, was driving his assigned police cruiser on Martin Luther King Street near 103rd Avenue, North, when he observed a driver traveling north in the southbound lanes. Officer Romeau activated his emer- gency lights in an attempt to stop the driver. However, she reportedly failed to yield to the emergency vehicle and ran the red light at Gandy Blvd.
After running the red light, the driver became involved in a head-on collision with Offi- cer Romeau’s vehicle. He notified the dispatcher via radio that he had been in- volved in an accident, but there were no further trans- missions.
Dispatchers used GPS to locate Officer Romeau’s ve- hicle. When other officers ar- rived at the scene, they discovered the officer laying on the grass beside his vehicle. He was dazed, but conscious, police said.
Officer Romeau was transported to Bayfront Med- ical Center, where he was treated and released.
The investigators identified the driver of the green Lexus involved in the accident as Ms. Madison Pratt Best, of St. Petersburg. Ms. Best, who was not injured, is said to have refused to take part in field so- briety tests or breath tests. She was arrested and charged with DUI and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
were involved in the distur- bance, and seven were ar- rested on charges ranging from felony to misde- meanors. A Corrections Offi- cer was attacked, but was not seriously injured.
None of the juveniles
were injured.
Damage to the facility is
estimated to be less than $1,000.
The facility is a secure, level-6 juvenile corrections facility and is now operating normally.
Undercover Drug Operation Results In 12 Arrests
This is surveillance footage of suspects in car burglaries.
ERICKA RETINA LITTLES
STEVEN LEON GREEN
WILARD CULLEN GATLIN
RASHARD JAMAAL JORDAN
ERNIE DONNELL DOCTOR
LEANDRE GREEN
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports that at 4:30 a. m. on March 13th, three suspects entered 12 unlocked vehicles parked in the Temple Park neighbor- hood and took various valu- ables.
About the same time, a surveillance camera from a private residence captured a photo of three suspects steal-
ing a bicycle from the front porch of a home on Tupelo Drive.
Detectives want to iden- tify the suspects for the theft of the bicycle and as persons of interest in the vehicle bur- glaries.
On the surveillance footage, the suspects appear to be three males, one of them Black or Hispanic.
Motorcyclist Killed In Traffic Accident
On Thursday, March 12th, St. Petersburg Police ar- rested 12 people on various drug charges as a result of a long term investigation of drug activity in the down- town area.
Police said the individu- als arrested sold drugs to un- dercover detectives. Two dancers and a third person who worked at Club Lust, 340 1st Avenue, North, were among those arrested.
Arrested in the operation were: Ericka Retina Lit- tles, 26; Nichole Jean Russ, 29; Jacob Cisneroz, 25; Willard Cullen Gatlin, 48; Edward Drake Ro- driguez, 51; Lily Liyen Wan, 28; Brian Lee Bor- land, 24; Ernie Donnell Doctor, 51; Steven Leon Green, 20; Rashard Ja- maal Jordan, 22; Roy Bert Oliver, 33, and Lean- dre Green, 34.
A 22-year-old Valrico man died after being involved in a traffic accident.
The accident took place Saturday evening on Kings Avenue.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, Daniel Lee Christie was driving his motorcycle north- bound on Kings Avenue in the left lane. Christie swerved to
avoid a vehicle ahead of him and struck the curb on Ronele Drive.
Christie and the motor- cycle traveled down the shoulder of the road and struck a fire hydrant. Christie died at the scene.
Police said he was not wearing a helmet. The inves- tigation into the accident is continuing.
Wrong Way Driver Charged With DUI
A 43-year-old Port Richey man was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. He was also charged with outstanding traffic warrants.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Trooper Nick Dolan observed a 2000 Toyota traveling west- bound in the eastbound lanes of State Road 52, near La Madera Blvd., in Pasco County. Trooper Dolan made a u-turn on State Road 52 and conducted a traffic stop.
The driver, later identified as Michael John Verra, turned into the parking lot of a restaurant, where Deputy
MICHAEL JOHN VERRA ... Charged with DUI
Dolan conducted an inter- view. Verra refused to pro- vide a breath test.
He was charged with DUI and transported to the Pasco County Jail.
TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 19