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Suspects remain under scrutiny in fast food heists
By CHRIS TISCH, Times Staff Writer CLEARWATER -- Detectives continue to investigate a series of summer fast food restaurant robberies in the Tampa Bay area after charges against two suspects were dropped. Clearwater and St. Petersburg police had teamed to arrest two St. Petersburg men, Deangelo Church and Norris Brown, in connection with the June 16 holdup of a McDonald's on U.S. 19 in Clearwater. Church and Brown, both 28, were charged after a woman told investigators that they had committed the robbery. A Clearwater police officer who was staking out the restaurant identified Church as a man he saw serving as lookout during the robbery. But the witness later changed her story. Prosecutors dropped the charge against Brown on July 15. Prosecutors then determined that although the Clearwater officer could testify that he saw Church outside the restaurant, he couldn't tie him to the robbery going on inside. On July 30, charges against Church also were dropped. "She actively changed her testimony, and we didn't feel the police officer's corroboration was sufficient," said Doug Crow, an executive assistant state attorney. A third suspect, Anthony Harrington, also of St. Petersburg, is wanted for questioning in connection with recent fast food holdups. Though the charges against Church and Brown have been dropped, they have not been eliminated as suspects. "I am not conceding that they didn't do it," said Detective Joe Dente of the St. Petersburg Police Department. "It's an ongoing case, and we're still involved in pursuing all avenues in the case, including both suspects. It's an ongoing investigation that's statewide and it's still moving on. The case is not over." On Aug. 8, authorities arrested McDonald's manager Slater Smith, 25, on charges he robbed a Tampa McDonald's. Detectives said they were investigating him in connection with other fast food stickups, but no additional charges have been filed, said Lt. Rod Reder of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Pinellas sheriff's deputies arrested Smith, of St. Petersburg, while he was working at the McDonald's at 1590 Missouri Ave. N. He was picked up on a Hillsborough County warrant that charged him with four counts of armed kidnapping and single charges of armed robbery and armed burglary. Reder said Smith is suspected of robbing the McDonald's at 6906 56th St. N in Hillsborough County on July 3. At about 5 a.m. that day, two masked men smashed the restaurant's door to get inside, then forced the manager to empty more than $300 from a safe, Reder said. One of the robbers was armed with a handgun, the other with a butcher knife. The robbers forced the manager and employees into a back room before leaving. The employees got a glimpse of one robber's face after his mask slipped down during the holdup. The employees later picked Smith's photograph out of a lineup, authorities said. Smith was a swing manager for McDonald's, working at various restaurants throughout the area, said Pinellas sheriff's Detective Cal Dennie. Tampa Bay counties were hit hard by fast food restaurant robbers earlier this year. At least 20 restaurants from Sarasota to Pasco counties have been robbed. A McDonald's robbery in St. Petersburg on Friday is not believed to be linked to the summer string of holdups, police said. Authorities said they believe more than one set of robbers is responsible for the holdups. "This wasn't the work of one group of people," Reder said. -- Chris Tisch can be reached at (727) 445-4156 or tisch@sptimes.com.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
