Page 39 - Florida Sentinel 10-7-22

Crime
Tampa Police Arrest Serial Burglary Suspect
Martial Arts Instructor Facing Charges For Molesting Students
Tampa Police have ar- rested a suspect linked to at least four business burglaries in the city.
Just before 5 a. m., on September 16, 2022, the front glass door of the Vincent & Tampa Cigar Company, 3103 N. Howard Ave., was shat- tered after a suspect threw a rock through the window to gain entry.
Once inside, the suspect targeted the cash drawer, stealing an unknown amount of money before fleeing the business on a bicycle.
Tampa Police identified the burglary as being a part of a pattern crime in the area. Through video surveil- lance and additional evidence at the scene, detectives iden- tified Tommy Lee Russell, 53, as the suspect.
On September 21, Rus- sell was located and ques- tioned regarding the incident. He confessed to burglarizing the cigar business, along with committing a similar offense at the Tampa Steak Company.
On September 5, the Tampa Steak Company, 1720 W. Columbus Drive, was tar- geted when the front glass window was smashed in with a brick. Unable to enter the locked door, the suspect left on a bicycle.
TOMMY LEE RUSSELL
Russell was later identi- fied as the suspect seen on surveillance video also burglarizing La Oriental Bak- ery, 3117 W. Columbus Dr., and Chiles Mexican Restau- rant, 3247 W. Columbus Dr.
In both instances, the sus- pect used a brick to smash the front glass door, and once in- side, he sought out the cash register.
Russell was charged with four counts of burglary of an unoccupied structure.
Detectives believe he could be linked to additional business burglaries.
Anyone with additional information regarding these incidents is asked to contact the Tampa Police Depart- ment at (813) 231-6130.
The investigation is ongo- ing.
A Riverview martial arts instructor was arrested last Monday after he was accused of molesting his students.
According to the Hills- borough County Sheriff’s Of- fice, Daniel Medina-Alvarez, 56, was an instructor at Medina Mar- tial Arts, 6447 S. Highway 301. He is accused of inap- propriately touching his stu- dents, both in his home and at the business between 2016 and 2020.
DANIEL MEDINA-ALVAREZ
Several victims made al- legations against the instruc- tor, police said.
Medina-Alvarez was taken into custody and charged with 20 counts of lewd or lascivious molesta- tion and one count of sexual battery.
Detectives said they are looking for other potential victims. If you have any in- formation, call the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.
Fire Department Responds To Early Morning Fire
Firemen with the Hills- borough County Fire Depart- ment responded to a single-alarm fire at a storage facility located at 5809 N. 50th Street. The fire was re- ported shortly before 4 a. m., on October 2nd.
Firemen arriving at the scene discovered there were three people inside the facil- ity. That person was trans- ported to a local hospital in stable condition. The other two people were not injured.
Crews quickly contained the fire, limiting it to just two of the storage units. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Firemen are shown battling the blaze at the storage facil- ity at 5809 N. 50th Street early Saturday morning.
First Responders Deployed To North Port
The Tampa Police have deployed 55 people to North Port to assist with the recov- ery stage following Hurricane Ian. North Port residents are dealing with severe flooding and power outages.
Tampa Police officers and firefighters assist the North Port Police Department with
search and rescue efforts, traffic and road closures to block dangerous, flooded areas, curfew enforcement, debris removal and food dis- tribution.
A total of 40 Tampa Police Officers and 15 Tampa Fire- fighters deployed for one week. If need persists, a sec-
ond team of officers is ready to be deployed as well to re- lieve the first set.
Prior to their leaving, Mayor Jane Castor, Police Chief Mary O’Connor and Fire Chief Barbara Tripp addressed and thanked those deploying. The officers and firemen left on October 1st.
PAGE 22-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2022