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By SUZANNAH GONZALES, Times Staff WriterPolice say the cigarette lighter, which looks like a gun, was used to rob a man of $55 Monday night.
CRYSTAL RIVER - After they were accused of robbing a man of $55 using a handgun that turned out to be a small cigarette lighter, a Tennessee man and a Spring Hill man were arrested Tuesday on robbery charges.
Lanney K. Kostal, 31, of Gainesboro, Tenn., was held on a charge of robbery with a firearm while Kenneth C. Stoddard, 49, faced a charge of unarmed robbery. Both were held at the Citrus County jail Tuesday afternoon with bail set at $30,000 and $20,000, respectively.
Randall Thomas Carter, 22, told a Citrus County sheriff's deputy he met the men at the Oar House in Crystal River about 10:30 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest report.
He said the men suggested he join them to go find girls, and the three left in Kostal's vehicle.
While at a traffic light on North Rock Crusher Road and West Venable Street, the report showed, Kostal pointed what the victim thought was a small, silver handgun at him and demanded all his money. Stoddard repeatedly threatened the victim, the report said.
After he gave up $55 in cash, Carter got out as Kostal ordered, the report said. The two men fled down Venable Street. Carter walked south on Rock Crusher Road to a residence, where he called law enforcement.
In a bulletin to law officers throughout Citrus, officials described the vehicle and the men's clothes. A vehicle matching the description - a maroon Ford Mustang - was found at the Econo Lodge in Crystal River by Crystal River police, the report said.
During a search of the car, authorities found a cigarette lighter that resembled a handgun. The two men denied being at the bar, meeting Carter and being involved in a robbery, the report said. However, Carter later identified them as the men who held him up, according to the report. It said Carter thought the lighter was the weapon he was threatened with.
The men were arrested. So was Carter: He was charged Tuesday with possessing a prescription medication without a prescription after an envelope containing a pain killer was found by authorities during a pat down. He also was being held at the jail Tuesday afternoon with his bail set at $2,500.
In other law enforcement news:
A 27-year-old Inglis man was arrested and charged with two counts of having unlawful sexual activity with a 16-year-old girl.
David Michael Alkhafaji, of 11025 SE 197th Lane, was released from the jail Monday after posting $10,000 bail.
About a year ago, a Zephyrhills girl, now 17, met Alkhafaji at her aunt's house and had consensual sex with him more than once while they were in Inverness, according to an arrest report.
Earlier this year, the report said, they had sex again after the girl ran away from home and Alkhafaji picked her up in Zephyrhills.
To sheriff's authorities on Monday, Alkhafaji admitted having consensual sex with the girl, but said the girl told him she was 18, the report said.
- Suzannah Gonzales can be reached at 860-7312 or sgonzales@sptimes.com