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Manhunt ends under a dock

Two Tampa men driving a stolen car are caught at a St. Petersburg marina after crimes including a pair of armed robberies in the early morning hours.

By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN
Published August 18, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG -- The manhunt began when a police officer saw two men run away at a convenience store on Gandy Boulevard early Thursday morning.

For the next three hours, more than a dozen deputies and officers searched for the suspects near the Gandy Bridge Marina. A helicopter whirred overhead, boat units patrolled the water and a canine unit sniffed for clues.

It finally ended at 8 a.m. when deputies found two men hiding in the water beneath a dock at the marina.

Officials say the arrests ended a crime string that included two armed robberies in Pinellas County and the theft of a car in Tampa, the Sheriff's Office said. Marquis Riddle, 18, and Anton Doe, 23, each face two counts of armed robbery and one count of loitering and prowling.

The two Tampa men were driving a stolen green 1999 Plymouth Breeze, the Sheriff's Office said. Both men have been arrested before on various charges, records show. Riddle has a more extensive criminal record that includes arrests on charges of burglary and vehicle theft.

The two men began their Thursday night around 3 a.m. by robbing a couple in the parking lot of the Homestead Suites Hotel in Clearwater, sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner said.

Then they drove their stolen car to a residence in the northern part of St. Petersburg, where they approached Justin Mann, 23, and two of his friends around 3:30, officials said.

Karen Mann, 49, Justin's mother, said the men put a gun to Justin's head, took his wallet, and slapped one of his friends.

"I thought it was a ruckus," Karen Mann said.

Around 5 a.m., a St. Petersburg Times employee saw them hanging outside a RaceTrack at 12025 Gandy Blvd. He was suspicious because they left their car running on the other side of the street.

He called for help, the hunt began, and the two men ended up in jail.

"I'm very relieved to know they've been arrested," said Karen Mann. "The question I have is if they would have accelerated and really hurt someone the next time."

Times researcher Carolyn Edds contributed to this report. Abhi Raghunathan can be reached at araghunathan@sptimes.com or 727 893-8472.

[Last modified August 18, 2006, 05:50:11]