Sierra is a ghost writer and copy editor for The Global Dispatch and will now take on a bigger role in her hometown, contributing regular to the Tampa Dispatch
A Pasco County man pretended to be another man for more than 20 years, even fooling his wife, Pasco County deputies said Thursday. Richard Hoagland assumed Terry Symanksy’s identity in 1992, embezzling over $1 million, until a Symansky relative discovered the identity theft using Ancestry.com Hoagland, 63, hit rock bottom after two failedContinue Reading
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department says they are still investigating the car crash involving Ronald Barlett, who collided into a power pole Wednesday morning. Barlett, 54, was alone, driving in the 18300 Block of Gulf Boulevard when he collided with a wooded pole just after 4 a.m. in Indian Shores. Officers detailed theContinue Reading
Police have identified a Tampa woman who was shot and killed outside of a Nebraska avenue liquor store, City Liquors, as Alicia Fussell. UPDATE: The correct spelling of Mrs. Fussell’s name is Alica. Antwoine Noland is being sought in connect to her murder. More here Fussell, 42, was fatally shot and killedContinue Reading
A Tampa woman was killed Friday morning when she was accidentally shot by her daughter. Identified as Carolyn Wright by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the woman died at the scene in from of the teen shooter. Jessica Wright, 33, became angry at one of her sons who brought a gun home. SheContinue Reading
Authorities have now identified the body discovered on Thursday afternoon in the Intracoastal Waterway as Mary Ellen Dyer. Dyer was killed in a St. Pete Beach crash around 3 a.m. Thursday morning near Shark Tales Waterfront Restaurant at 75th Avenue and Sunset Way. Dyer, 66, was found by a fisherman about two milesContinue Reading
A bicyclist was killed Wednesday morning along the Courtney Campbell Causeway after he rode over a downed live power line on a bike trail. The Tampa Police identified the man as Gregory Patterson. Patterson, 47, an active officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, died after the 6:40 a.m. accidentContinue Reading
Speed is to blame for the death of three young people who died in a horrific car wreck on Highway 98 in Lakeland Saturday night, just before midnight. Lakeland Police said Brittany Lewis, 24, Christopher “CJ” Stewart, 22, and Kathrin “Katie” Pitock, 22, all of Lakeland, died in that crashContinue Reading
A Tampa woman was arrested Wednesday on charges she killed James Simmons Jr. in April and stole his car. Tampa Police and U.S. Marshals arrested Aysoni Lewis in her Tampa home and now faces charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery and grand theft motor vehicle. Lewis, 26, was arrested Wednesday morning, 8:20 a.m. atContinue Reading
The man suspected in the deadly Winter Haven home invasion has died, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said. Ricardo Garcia Gomez broke into the home of Paul McLees and Mary McLees, threatening the pair with a knife to get into their safe. McLees, 78, opened the safe, pulled the gun fromContinue Reading
Tampa Police arrested a security guard Saturday after he fired his weapon at two people during a confrontation in a parking garage involving public urination. Everoy Farqharson, 31, a security guard employed by Iron Eagle Security, confronted the victims at approximately 2:49 a.m. about urinating in the parking garage andContinue Reading
A man was arrested Sunday morning in connection with the fatal shooting of Bernard Antonio Richards Saturday night in Clearwater, according to police. Anthony James Roy, 50, was involved with an altercation with Richards, 31, outside of the Stop N Shop convenience store located at the corner of South Martin LutherContinue Reading
According to deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Robert Alcalde is the man who invaded a Clearwater home in a drug-crazed episode that couldn’t be stopped by officers when they arrived. Alcalde, 31, broke into the home of Heather and Steven Aiosa through the couple’s front window. Steven Aiosa grabbedContinue Reading
Stand-up paddle boarding was declared an official Special Olympics sport in Florida for the first time last year, has made its way to Pasco County. Bay News 9 profiled the competitors and the growing interest in the local Tampa area. Abbreviated “SUP,” Stand-up paddle “…seemed like a perfect fit forContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Education on Friday released school grades for more than 3,000 schools across the state with the bad news that the overall number of schools with “A” grades declined, according to the report. The Florida Standards Assessment introduced a more difficult grading system a few years ago and schools haven’tContinue Reading
A father and son duo was arrested on July 5 and deputies at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office say the pair had $60,000 worth of heroin in their possession. Matthew Zimmerman and his teen son, Logan Zimmerman, were in possession of 11.5 ounces of heroin, $7,677, a misdemeanor amount of marijuana,Continue Reading
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detailed the arrest of a Riverview man who was shot during a gunfight with deputies early Sunday and now faces two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. Jamil Alejandro Valladares, 26, pulled his gun on deputies who were investigating a domestic dispute reported by Valladares’ girlfriend.Continue Reading
A wrong-way driver, who caused a traffic crash, had a toddler in the car, Hillsborough sheriff’s deputies said. Identified as Crystal Lynn Palacios, the Ruskin woman was charged with DUI, her third in the last ten years, driving while license suspended or revoked (2nd offense) and refusal to submit to any DUIContinue Reading
A Citrus County man is in jail after police say he set the “fire because the “voices in his head told him to do it.” Raymond Hermann confessed to the crime, opening up with more details which were chronicled in the man’s arrest record. Citrus County Sheriff’s Office says Hermann set hisContinue Reading
Hillsborough County detectives charged a Tampa man for running a human trafficking, prostitution ring at the La Quinta Inn near the Florida State Fairgrounds. Brandon Jackson, 30, has been arrested for holding a 32-year-old woman against her will, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. “Jackson was discovered hiding in a lockedContinue Reading
A toddler struck while riding in a stroller at a Gibsonton mobile home park has died, according to Tampa General Hospital. A pick-up truck driver, Brandon Concepcion, 28, accidently drove over Zachary Ustaszewski, 2, on Sunday in Sandy’s Mobil Home Park, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Concepcion is alsoContinue Reading
The couple attempting to run from a Polk County sheriff’s deputy, but rammed their vehicle into his cruiser, dragging the patrol car into a ditch, have been identified. Cody Bridges, 19, of Plant City, was being sought for a felony warrant out of Hillsborough County for a stolen vehicle, according to theContinue Reading
