Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

Teen accused of molesting 8-year-old girl in Holiday

Pasco County sheriff's deputies on Thursday arrested a 15-year-old Holiday boy they say entered the room of an 8-year-old girl, touched her while she slept, then forced her to perform oral sex after she tried to get away.

A sheriff's report said the boy, Eliezel Carrasco, was caught by the girl's 12-year-old brother, who told his mother what he saw the following day. The incident occurred the night of May 9 in Holiday.

Carrasco refused to speak to a deputy when he was arrested early Thursday morning and was taken to Land O'Lakes jail, the report said. He is facing a charge of involuntary sexual battery.

NEW PORT RICHEY - The owner of AA Better Used Cars was arrested Thursday after he sold a woman's Pontiac Firebird but never gave her the money, authorities said.

New Port Richey police say Norman S. Applebaum agreed to sell Rhonda Franceschini's red 2000 Firebird on consignment at the car lot in October 2002. The vehicle sold for more than $18,000, the police said.

Applebaum, 55, was to keep $3,000 as commission and give $15,000 to Franceschini, the police said in a news release. But he never did "and made statements that she will never see a dime of it," the release said.

In conjunction with the State Attorney's Office, an arrest warrant was issued for a charge of grand theft. He was arrested shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday at his home, 12717 Flamingo Parkway, Spring Hill.

Applebaum was released from Land O'Lakes jail after posting a $5,000 cash bond. A message left at his business Thursday was not returned.

Applebaum has been in trouble before, pleading no contest to a charge of exploiting the elderly in 2001.

According to a Pasco arrest warrant, Applebaum persuaded an elderly relative to withdraw $169,369 from her bank account, telling her he would invest the money. He never did. He was sentenced to six years' probation.

SPRING HILL - A Masaryktown woman told a Pasco County sheriff's deputy Wednesday that she stole more than $400 in scratch-off lottery tickets from a convenience store because she was behind on her rent.

Mary E. Pike, 30, was arrested on a charge of grand theft and taken to Land O'Lakes jail. The tickets were stolen between April 18 and Sunday while she was working at the Lil' Champ food store on Shady Hills Road.

Pike won about $200 from the tickets, according to a sheriff's report. A store manager told a deputy that she became suspicious after determining that the tickets were missing during Pike's shift.

The report said Pike admitted to the theft, explaining that she needed to pay rent. Pike was being held Thursday at Land O'Lakes jail on $5,000 bail.