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Hillsborough briefs

News of note.

By Times Staff
Published September 9, 2006

BlackBerry's GPS leads detectives to stolen loot

TAMPA - A stolen BlackBerry was the key detectives needed in solving a string of residential burglaries in Hillsborough County this week.

Deputies arrested Richard Betancourt, 23, and Yosnel Bonet, 24, Thursday after a Global Positioning System device activated in a stolen Nextel BlackBerry cell phone led authorities within 9 feet of the device.

The GPS-equipped cell phone, which detectives activated with help from Nextel Security in Kansas, was inside a gold Cadillac found in the 8000 block of Palm River Road.

Betancourt was driving with the BlackBerry located in the car's center console, according to deputies. His passenger, Bonet, had a loaded gun under the seat.

Inside the car, deputies found $5,000 worth of stolen items from two home burglaries. At Betancourt's home, 1715 Waikiki Way in Tampa, they found another $10,000 in stolen goods, which detectives linked to four other home burglaries.

Detectives said 90 percent of the stolen property has been returned to owners in Riverview, Seffner and Dover. All the burglaries occurred since Aug. 25.

Betancourt is charged with grand theft, criminal mischief and grand theft of a firearm. Bail was set at $254,500. Bonet is charged with violation of probation for prior battery charges as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was denied bond.

Toddler crawls through dog door, drowns in pool

TAMPA - A toddler drowned Thursday evening after she crawled through a dog door at her family's South Tampa home and fell into a swimming pool, police say.

The last time her mother checked, Bailey Carter, 2, was asleep in the living room of the home at 4726 W Wyoming Ave., police say. The girl's 5-year-old brother was watching TV with her, and Bailey's mother, Ailsa Rodriguez, 26, was in another room. When Rodriguez came to check on Bailey, the toddler was gone.

After searching the home, the family found Bailey floating in the pool just after 8:30 p.m. Police officers performed CPR and tried to revive Bailey, but they were unable to save her. She died that evening at Tampa General Hospital.

[Last modified September 9, 2006, 06:21:03]