Random check nets officer a wanted fugitive

The woman staying in a Clearwater hotel was wanted in another state in connection with an attempted homicide.

By ED QUIOCO, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 3, 2003

CLEARWATER -- Clearwater police officer Karl Wassmer was patrolling Fort Harrison Avenue when he pulled into a motel and decided to run checks on the cars in the parking lot.

Thanks to his random computer checks, Wassmer found a 56-year-old fugitive wanted for attempted criminal homicide in Pennsylvania.

Marilyn Hastings, who was staying at the motel on 1770 N Fort Harrison Ave., was arrested Monday on a warrant for several charges including knocking a police officer onto the hood of her car while fleeing authorities more than a year ago.

"He runs the tag and it comes back with a murder warrant," Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor said. "That's just good police work."

Hastings also is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, fleeing police and several counts of reckless driving and exceeding posted speed limits. She was held without bail at the Pinellas County Jail on Wednesday, waiting to be taken back to Pennsylvania.

In March 2002, a police officer and a Pennsylvania state trooper tried to get Hastings to pull over as she drove on State Route 62, about 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Hastings stopped but when the police officer and trooper approached her car, she hit the gas pedal, took off and struck the police officer with her car, according to Pennsylvania authorities.

Hastings was arrested about 20 miles away after she was involved in a minor accident. The police officer was treated and released from the hospital. Wassmer is assigned to a community policing team based on Fort Harrison, Shelor said.

The arrest is a good example of what community policing is about, he said. "This is exactly what they do," Shelor said. "It's proactive."

-- Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report, which contains material from Times wires.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright