Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 16 January 2018

Casino company: Suspect in Wichita
hoax call expresses
Boat that caught fire had no history of problems remorse for death

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A casi- WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A
no company said Monday California man accused of
it never had a problem with making a hoax emergency
the shuttle boat that burst call that resulted in the fa-
into flames off Florida’s Gulf tal police shooting of an
Coast, leading to the death unarmed Kansas man said
of a female passenger. he regrets that someone
Tropical Breeze Casino died but evaded questions
spokeswoman Beth Fifer about whether he made
said the company does not the call that caused the
know what caused Sun- shooting. Tyler Barriss 25, is
day’s huge blaze, which charged with involuntary
gutted the 12-year-old manslaughter in the Dec.
shuttle boat and forced 28 death of Andrew Finch,
about 50 passengers to 28, who was shot by po-
jump into chilly waters off lice after officers went to a
Port Richey. Wichita home in response
“We are deeply saddened to what turned out to be a
for the loss of our passen- fake report about a shoot-
ger, the 14 injured and any- ing and kidnapping.
one else who was affected During interviews with
by this tragedy,” Fifer said. In this photo provided by Pasco County flames engulf a boat Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, in the Tampa KWCH-TV on Friday and
Regional Medical Center Bay area. The boat ferrying patrons to a casino ship off the Florida Gulf Coast caught fire near Sunday, Barriss said he was
Bayonet Point spokesman shore Sunday afternoon, and dozens of passengers and crew safely made it to land, authorities sorry a person died and
Kurt Conover said Monday said. said he was willing to ac-
that the passenger arrived (Tambrey Laine/Pasco County via AP) cept whatever punishment
at the hospital’s emergen- Breeze Casino. headed out to the casino He told the Tampa Bay he receives. At one point
cy room at 10 p.m. Sunday Helicopter video taken ship at the time. Times that he then saw in the interview, Barriss said
and died shortly afterward. by WTSP-TV early Monday Port Richey Police Chief people wandering about he wished the night Finch
He said she had apparent- shows the boat was burned Gerard DeCanio said the confused, wet and cold, was killed he could have
ly gone home after the fire down to its hull, with only an shuttle boat experienced after they reached land. “rewound somehow and
but became ill. American flag on its bow engine problems after One woman collapsed never done it,” but when
Pasco County Sheriff’s Of- uncharred. leaving the dock at Port upon reaching shore and asked directly whether he
fice spokesman Kevin Doll The shuttle boat regularly Richey, a suburban com- vomited, he said. made the call, Barriss de-
said the victim was 42. carried people back and munity about 35 miles (55 Santangelo said he took clined to answer.
Her name has not been forth from the Tropical kilometers) northwest of about 30 of the passengers “Of course, you know, I feel
released and a cause of Breeze’s offshore casino, Tampa. But as the vessel into his garage to warm up a little of remorse for what
death has not been deter- about a 45-minute ride turned back, flames kicked and recover. happened. I never intend-
mined. Conover said eight into international waters. up and people began “It was so windy and they ed for anyone to get shot
other passengers were There, passengers would jumping overboard into were soaking wet,” said and killed. I don’t think dur-
treated at the hospital and play games such as black shallow water, according Santangelo. He worried ing any attempted swat-
released. jack, which is illegal at non- to witness accounts. that some might suffer from ting anyone’s intentions
Authorities originally said Indian casinos in Florida, Larry Santangelo, 57, said hypothermia. are for someone to get
no injuries were life-threat- and roulette, which is illegal he had just driven into his It wasn’t immediately clear shot and killed,” Barriss said
ening. statewide. neighborhood when he what caused the fire, which from the Sedgwick County
Coast Guard Petty Officer The shuttle boat caught saw smoke and fire and sent a huge plume of dark jail, where he is being held
1st Class Michael De Nyse fire about 4 p.m. Sunday, thought a house — possibly black smoke wafting over on $500,000 bond.
said investigators will deter- quickly engulfing the boat his own — was ablaze. But sunny skies on an unusually “I’ll just take responsibility
mine the cause of the fire close to shore near resi- then he realized it was the chilly winter day in the Tam- and serve whatever time,
and examine the history dential neighborhoods. boat just about 100 yards pa Bay region. or whatever it is that they
of the boat and Tropical Officials said the boat was (90 meters) offshore. “It looked pretty dramat- throw at me. I’m willing to
do it,” he said. Barriss ad-
Man acquitted of abuse at furry animal party mitted that he had been
paid in the past to make
similar hoax calls, some-
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — and his attacker sometimes furry community and de- Michele Walsh argued the times called “swatting,”
A man who was accused wore a full-body fox cos- cide the case on the evi- case didn’t hinge on the but again declined to say
with others of assaulting a tume. dence presented in court.” fox costume and was “not whether someone paid
boy at parties for people Defense attorney Steven Fairlie, in his closing argu- about money.” him to make the call to
dressed in animal costumes Fairlie, who maintained the ment, pointed to inconsis- “It’s about a child being Wichita. He said he began
has been acquitted of all charges stemmed from an tencies in the testimony of raped,” Walsh said. “... The making such calls after he
charges. attempt by the boy’s fam- the boy, who is now 16, and mutilation of a child’s spirit and his grandmother were
Kenneth Fenske, 57, of ily to profit off his client’s said his demeanor lacked is something that can’t be victims of a swatting call
Quakertown, was cleared wealth, described the case a “ring of truth.” fixed.” in 2015. People who make
by a jury on Friday, almost a as “extremely emotional.” He said a fur suit said by Three other men and a hoax calls do it for the
year after he was charged. “There was a lot of inflam- the boy to have been worn woman await trial in the shock value and to get a
Prosecutors alleged the matory testimony in the during at least one of the case. police response, he said.
boy was abused at furry case,” he said. “I was hap- episodes had not been in Another man pleaded “Anytime a swat hoax call
parties beginning in 2009. py that the jury was able his client’s possession until guilty to child sex traf- is attempted, I’m never
The boy said he was forced to set aside any precon- 2015. ficking and is awaiting looking for someone to get
to dress as Tony the Tiger ceived notions about the Deputy Attorney General sentencing.q shot and killed,” he said. q