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Briefly

By TIMES WIRES
Published October 11, 2006

Man, 18, faces death in slaying of toddler girl

TAMPA - Indicted on terrible charges against a 2½-year-old girl, Eric Tate was despondent in a jail phone call to his mother.

Tuesday, prosecutors announced they will seek the death penalty for the 18-year-old Lutz man, who is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and capital sexual battery.

Tate had been babysitting his live-in girlfriend's daughter on Aug. 16 when he called 911 and the child was rushed to a hospital with severe head trauma.

Tate said little Heather Romance had fallen off a couch and hit her head on a coffee table.

But doctors at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital said the injuries were not consistent with Tate's story. They noticed Heather was bleeding from her genital area. An exam revealed that she had been penetrated, according to case records.

Family members of Romance and Tate attended the court hearing where the state announced its intentions Tuesday morning but declined to comment afterward.

Private plane mistakenly lands at MacDill air base

TAMPA - The private twin-engine aircraft wasn't scheduled to fly into MacDill Air Force Base, which plays a central role in the war on terror.

But on the morning of Sept. 28 there it was, coming in for a landing.

Tower operators sent the Piper airplane a radio message that went unanswered. Next they shone a red spotlight on it but it didn't stop.

Base security personnel met the pilot and co-pilot on the runway and detained them for questioning until the afternoon.

It appears the pilot erred.

Neil G. Smith, a licensed pilot from Lexington, Ky., confused the base with Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands, said Air Force spokesman 1st Lt. Larry van der Oord. Six miles apart, both facilities are surrounded by water on three sides.

"The pilot was apparently having some type of in-flight problem and after he got it fixed he wanted to land ASAP, and due to lack of situational awareness he didn't realize he was landing here," van der Oord said. "The plane was also searched and nothing was found."

That morning Smith was scheduled to meet an examiner from the Federal Aviation Authority on Davis Islands to take a test for his instructor certification. When Smith flew into MacDill air space instead, his radio was tuned into the wrong frequency and didn't hear the warning.

The FAA is investigating the incident, spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

If authorities determine Smith violated any regulations, punishment could range from a letter of warning to having his license revoked.

Restaurant offers reward in robbery of manager

ST. PETERSBURG - Cody's Original Roadhouse is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the men who robbed and beat up one of its restaurant managers.

The three men approached the manager at the Roadhouse restaurant at 7022 22nd Ave. N about 2:50 a.m. Thursday. They demanded money and a fight ensued, according to police reports.

One of the men hit the manager with a baseball bat several times. The men ran off with the manager's wallet, which was found in the parking lot of the Brandywine Apartments near Tyrone Square Mall. The manager was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Two attackers hid their faces. The man who swung the bat did not. He is described as white, in is 20s, about 5 feet 9, 130 pounds with a thin build, fair complexion and brown hair. Investigators suspect he lives near Brandywine Apartments.

Anyone with information can call Detective Allyn Stone at (727) 893-4928 or (727) 893-7179.

[Last modified October 11, 2006, 00:59:54]