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Beloved car might have led to man's death

An 18-year-old is accused of breaking into a senior citizen's home, stabbing him and driving off in his car.

By ALEX LEARY
Published April 21, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Amid the Mercurys, Lincolns and Buicks at the Sea Horse Mobile Home Park, the spotless white Chrysler PT Cruiser stood out.

The shape reminded John Joseph Quaid, 81, of the cars of his prime. But to others, it was contemporary, hip.

The kind of vehicle a young person would want.

Authorities think the PT Cruiser is what drew Chris Peregory to Quaid's door in the late hours of April 10. Before the teenager slid into the leather seat and drove off, officials say, he stabbed Quaid repeatedly.

On Wednesday, Peregory was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, grand theft auto and burglary. The 18-year-old is being held in county jail without bail.

"It's hard to imagine someone would do that just for a car," said Kathy Cook, who found her father's body the next day. "And I can't believe someone so young could do something so brutal."

Peregory did not know Quaid, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. "As we understand it," spokesman Mac McMullen said, "it was a random act."

That alarmed residents Wednesday at the mobile home park off 44th Avenue N. They were sure the killer would have known Quaid. Except for the rare times someone steals a bicycle, crime is unheard of at the park, they said.

"It's scary," said Mary Purdue, 72, who retired to Florida from Indianapolis. "It could have been me. It could have been any of us."

Peregory broke into Quaid's mobile home about 11:30 p.m., according to the Sheriff's Office. He admitted to breaking into the home and taking about $300 and then the car, McMullen said. He denied stabbing Quaid.

A few hours after the break-in, the sheriff's office said, the PT Cruiser was in a hit-and-run outside a home in the 12000 block of 77th Street N in Pinellas Park. It was abandoned about 61/2 miles from the mobile home park.

A composite sketch of the driver was released to newspapers and television stations and shown throughout the area. People called with tips, as detectives followed their own leads and clues.

The trail led to county jail.

Largo police on Monday had arrested Peregory on charges including possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon and theft. Police did not release details of the arrest. Records show Peregory has a criminal history in Florida dating to 2002. He has been arrested for larceny and shoplifting in Hillsborough County and burglary and battery in Pinellas. He is described as transient, with his last known address in Largo. An uncle reached Wednesday in Minnesota said the family had no comment.

Kathy Cook, who celebrated her 42nd birthday Wednesday, said the call from the Sheriff's Office about an arrest was the best present she could have gotten. "I haven't been able to sleep. This brings some closure and some security that they've got him."

Born in Brooklyn, Quaid served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and later worked for the company that today is GTE. He took up softball after his wife's death in 1988, and played with the Kids and Kubs teams at North Shore Park for players 75 and older. He enjoyed playing darts and watching the Devil Rays. About four years ago, he moved to the mobile home park and quickly fell into the social scene. Among the pictures in Kathy Cook's living room is one of Quaid just days before his death. He's dancing during a party for the park's seasonal residents.

Hip replacement surgery led Quaid on a hunt for a new car. Aside from its looks, Quaid liked the PT Cruiser for its functionality. It was higher than his Chrysler Sebring but lower than a van. He went for gray leather interior, a sun roof and keyless entry.

"It was a luxury and he wanted it," his daughter said. "He loved that car."

[Last modified April 21, 2005, 01:04:05]