Page 18 - 2-20-15 Friday's Edition

Crime
Three People Shot Outside Bar, One Fatally
At 2:32 a. m. Saturday, Tampa Police were called to Reds International Bar (also known as the Rumba Bar and Grill), 7009 North Armenia Av- enue. When they arrived, they found three men suffering from gunshot wounds, one of them a fatality.
According to reports, a verbal altercation inside the bar spilled over to outside when a physical fight erupted in the parking lot.
Police said during the alter- cation, three Hispanic males pulled out handguns and started firing at the three men they had been fighting with.
All three men were hit by the gunfire, one of them sustaining a fatal injury.
Roberto Cruz-Gomez, 31, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two men were hospitalized and reported to be in stable condition.
The suspects in the shooting were described as three His- panic males who were last seen fleeing in a 4-door black or dark blue car.
Man Accused After 1995 Sexual Battery Jailed
DANIEL COBB, JR.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, a man accused of sexual battery on two minors 20 years ago has been arrested.
On Thursday, two people re- ported that in 195 they were sexually battered several times by Daniel Cobb, Jr.
Cobb, Jr., 47, was found at his residence and questioned by investigators. He was then arrested on two counts of sex- ual battery on a minor.
Cobb, Jr. is currently being held without bail.
Arrest Made In Shooting Death At Gas Station
Police Avoid Head-On
Collisions In Separate Wrong
Way Driving Incidents
Police in Winter Haven have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of 21-year-old Maurice Knight at the RaceTrac Gas Station Satur- day morning.
Authorities arrested 24- year-old Wesley K. Booker who is facing charges of sec- ond degree murder, posses- sion of a firearm by a felon, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
Knight was shot after an al- tercation that began a Pierre’s Hot Spot and continued to the gas station on Highway 17 and Havendale Boulevard.
Police said at 1 a. m. Satur- day, a fight broke out in the parking lot of Pierre’s. An unidentified man pulled a gun and fired several shots that hit a vehicle. The crowd left the area and headed to the gas sta- tion. At 1:13 a.m., a group of people who had left Pierre’s were standing by gas pumps when a vehicle sped by and a shot was heard, Knight was standing outside of his vehicle when he was hit in the chest and died, police said.
This past weekend, law en- forcement investigated three incidents involving drivers traveling in the wrong direc- tion. Two of the drivers were arrested,
The first incident took place early Saturday morning. Uni- versity of South Florida Police Officer Scott Parker was driving westbound on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., at approximately 4 a.m. He ob- served a Chevrolet pickup truck traveling on Orient Road turn off Orient Road into the westbound traffic lane on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., heading directly toward him. The driver nearly caused a head-on collision with the offi- cer.
Officer Parker initiated his emergency lights and con- ducted a traffic stop. The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Gener Fer- nando Espino, 47, of Seffner.
A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy re- sponded to the scene and con- ducted a standard field sobriety test and determined that Espino was impaired.
Espino was taken into cus- tody and charged with driving under the influence. He was released from the Hillsbor- ough County Jail after posting bond.
The second incident took place shortly before midnight Saturday, on 142nd Avenue near 19th Street. Lt. Leon Paige, of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was driving his unmarked patrol car when he observed a 2005 Hyundai traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes.
Lt. Paige avoided a head- on collision by taking evasive action, maneuvering his vehi- cle off the road to avoid the crash. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and determined the driver of the vehicle was Cornelious Watson, 34, of Tampa.
Deputies attempted to ad- minister a field sobriety test, but Watson refused. Wat- son was taken into custody DUI, 2nd conviction, and being a habitual traffic of- fender with a prior conviction for DUI, police said. His bond was set at $2,500.
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper C. Edwards re- sponded to a traffic accident on State Road 589 at milepost 4 early Sunday. When
GENER FERNANDO ESPINO
CORNELIOUS D. WATSON
The driver of this 2007 Ford ran off the road after the driver realized he was travel- ing in the wrong direction on State Road 589.
Trooper Edwards arrived at the scene shortly after 7 a.m., he discovered a 2007 Ford resting on a new bridge sup- port. The vehicle was nearly vertical, police said.
The investigation revealed that Basil Avatar Scruby, 18, of Largo, entered State Road 589 traveling in the wrong direction. When Scruby reached Hillsborough Avenue, he realized he his error as he drove into a con- struction area.
Scruby reportedly failed to reduce his speed and traveled off the median overpass. The vehicle came to rest with its undercarriage on the bridge support.
Scruby was transported to Town & Country Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. The investiga- tion is continuing.
WESLEY K. BOOKER .....charged with second-de- gree murder.
MAURICE KNIGHT .....murder victim.
Man Accused Of Allowing Child Who Wrecked Car Drive
Last week, Clearwater police arrested a 42-year-old man and charged him with several crimes. He was released after posting bond.
According to police, Robert L. Burke allegedly allowed his girlfriend’s 10-year-old son to drive his vehicle. When they reached their destination on N. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue, the child reportedly crashed into the store, break- ing a window.
Burke is alleged to have changed seats with the child and drove away from the scene. He was located and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, child neglect, posses-
ROBERT L. BURKE
sion of cocaine, obstructing or resisting an officer without vi- olence, and violation of proba- tion.
Uncle Sandy Says...
A father is a man 2, 10, 19, 21 who expects his son 30, 38, 40, 41 to be as good a man 11, 50, 55, 58 as he meant to be 31, 35, 37, 43.
PAGE 18 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015