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By TIMES WIRES
Published August 10, 2006

Dover man accused of buying stolen equipment

PLANT CITY - The owner of a Plant City home improvement store was arrested Wednesday, accused of buying air conditioning units stolen from construction sites.

Clarence Guthrie , 63, of 2540 Dad Weldon Road, Dover, was charged with dealing in stolen property. He was being held in the county jail with bail set at $7,500.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said that Guthrie paid $100 for what he thought was a stolen air-conditioning unit from an undercover detective. Carter valued the unit used in the sting at $400.

Guthrie operates the Plant City Home Center at 5305 James L. Redmond Parkway.

Carter said deputies found other stolen units there. She did not have a total price for the amount of stolen property as deputies were still investigating the thefts.

Suspect in Polk bank robbery is Tampa man

TAMPA - A Tampa man with a history of arrests locally is being sought in connection with a bank robbery in Polk County.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says Michael Edward Blankenship, 24, whose last known address was 7217 51st Ave. South in Tampa, has been identified as the man believed to have held up a Wachovia Bank at 32959 U.S. 27 in Haines City around 1:30 p.m. on July 28.

Anyone with information about Blankenship's location is urged to contact Detective. Ed Moran at 1-800-226-0344 or (863) 534-6379. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.

A video of the robbery can be viewed at www.polksheriff.org under "Crimestoppers."

Man charged with murder in July shooting

TAMPA - Dondi Maurice King could not have known that the day he gave Christopher Charles Holder a ride in his car would be his last day alive.

King, 29, of Seffner was found dead on July 13, his body slumped in the seat of his Nissan Altima in the parking lot of the Beechwood Apartments, 13707 N 21st St. The cause of death was a gunshot wound.

Holder, 19, was arrested Wednesday night at his home, 8611 39th St. N Apt. 1. Deputies say he told three people he killed King.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said it was still unclear how King and Holder knew one another, but that King had given Holder a ride earlier in the day.

Carter added that authorities still do not have a motive in the killing.

Holder is being held without bail at Orient Road Jail on first-degree murder charges.

[Last modified August 10, 2006, 01:12:49]