Florida

The Sunshine Skyway has reopened after south bound lanes shut down for nearly an hour today as a man threatened to jump from the bridge.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Lt. Joel Granata said the agency received multiple calls reporting a man with one leg over the guardrail. A Florida Highway Patrol troopertalked the man out of jumping.

Granata said the first call came in about 1 p.m. and the bridge reopened at 1:46 p.m.
The man was taken into custody under the Baker Act and transported to a medical facility for evaluation.

Austin Bogues, Times staff writer

ST. PETE BEACH — Bidders are buying jewelry, bronze sculptures and paintings at the Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa this afternoon in an auction of items forfeited and abandoned at banks or post offices, seized by the U.S. Marshal’s Office or put up for sale by failed businesses.

Becky Schroeder of Jamison, Pa., left, and her husband, Bill Schroeder, look at items up for auction today at the Don CeSar Beach Resort. [CHRIS ZUPPA | Times]

More than a hundred people attended a 12:30 p.m. preview session but left before the sale began at 1 p.m.

(Read the full post about ‘Bidders hunt bargains amid others’ misfortune at Don CeSar auction’…)

BROOKSVILLE — One of the suspects wanted in connection with a home invasion as part of a plot to kill a Brooksville woman’s husband has been arrested after dodging authorities for nearly a month.

Esnel Jean Baptiste, 23, of Orlando, left, was taken into custody Monday and charged with home invasion and kidnapping. He remained at the Hernando County Jail on Tuesday with no bail.

Three other suspects are behind bars, while one remains at large.

Baptiste was caught in Orange County on Dec. 27 and was transported to the Hernando County Jail two days later.

(Read the full post about ‘Fourth suspect caught in Brooksville home invasion, murder-for-hire plot’…)

WESLEY CHAPEL — A 3-year-old girl fell from a second-story window in Lexington Oaks this afternoon, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. at 5406 Silver Charm Terrace, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Doll said.

The child crawled out an open window onto a roof and fell 8 to 10 feet onto a concrete driveway.

Doll said she was flown to a hospital as a precaution, but her injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

Molly Moorhead, Times staff writer

TAMPA — Kendrick Morris, the 17-year-old charged in the rape of another teenager at the Bloomingdale Regional Library and a 61-year-old woman at a day care, was found with a homemade knife in his jail cell, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies said.

[Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office]

At about 9 a.m., Morris, left, was ordered to pack his belongings in a canteen box during a search of his Orient Road Jail cell. Among his things, deputies found the knife, above, which they said was likely made from a plastic food tray and torn sheet.

An added charge of introducing contraband into a detention facility was added to Morris’s existing charges and he has been relocated to a solitary cell at the Falkenburg Road Jail.

(Read the full post about ‘Contraband weapon found in Valrico library rape suspect’s cell’…)

TAMPA — Between 300 and 500 protesters lined N Dale Mabry Highway just north of Interstate 275, protesting Israeli attacks on Palestinian territories. The crowds chanted "Stop the killing, stop the crime," and "Free, free Palestine" while many carried signs and waved Palestinian flags.

Mohammed Hussein, 17, of Tampa, leads a crowd in a chant of "Free Palestine" on Dale Mabry Highway near Spruce Street. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times]

The protest was convened by the local Muslim American Society and other groups, which used Facebook and text messages to gather people at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Spruce Avenue.

Many of the crowd were University of South Florida and high school students, protesters said.

Unaiza Malik, 22, a recent graduate, said she came "to free Palestine and to protest against the attacks until the U.S.

(Read the full post about ‘Local protest of Israel’s attacks in Gaza’…)

TAMPA — A hit-and-run crash involving multiple vehicles slowed northbound traffic Tuesday evening on the Howard Frankland Bridge.

Florida Highway Patrol dispatchers said there were no serious injuries and the suspect vehicle has been stopped. However, traffic was moving slowly on the span. Dispatchers said they received three to four reports from drivers saying their vehicles had been hit.

The crash happened around 7:15 p.m.

Stephanie Garry, Times staff writer

CLEARWATER — A vacant house in Clearwater burned overnight, leaving unknown damage but no injuries, according to Clearwater Fire and Rescue.

It happened at Woodlawn Street and Prospect Avenue Sat about 3 a.m. Firefighters said the house was fully engulfed by the time they arrived, and it took about 20 minutes to put it out.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Kim Wilmath, Times Staff Writer

The last day of 2008 will be a nice one, meteorologists say, with sunny skies and cooler temperatures later tonight.

There’s a cold front coming through today that probably won’t be noticeable, said Bay News 9 meteorologist Josh Linker. Fog today shouldn’t cause any significant problems.

As for tonight’s festivities, it’s expected to be in the low 50s outside. But before you bemoan the slight chill, Linker said, you should know that New York City is expected to be at about 12 degrees.

This weekend will warm up, with a chance for a few showers.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer

SULPHUR SPRINGS — Tampa Fire Rescue crews are on the scene of an early-morning house fire in Sulphur Springs with no known injures, according to a dispatcher.

[Capt. Bill Wade, Tampa Fire Rescue]

A neighbor called authorities around 6:30 a.m. to report a fire at 8610 17th St. N. When crews arrived, the one-story house was fully engulfed in flames, the dispatcher said.

Tampa Fire spokesman Capt. Bill Wade said officials believe five people live in the home, but no one was there when crews arrived.

Investigators are working to determine what caused the fire.

Kim Wilmath, Times staff writer