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Ex-rep. Arza turns self in on call charges

By TIMES WIRES
Published November 3, 2006

A day after resigning his state House seat, Ralph Arza surrendered Thursday on charges of witness tampering and retaliation stemming from obscenity-laced phone messages he left with a fellow lawmaker. He was released on $10,000 bail. Arza acknowledged making the calls to state Rep. Gus Barreiro last month after Barreiro complained that Arza used a racial slur in referring to Miami-Dade County's schools chief. Arza's cousin, Paulino Barbon Jr., surrendered on the same charges for allegedly leaving threats on Barreiro's voice mail. Republicans chose Hialeah City Council member Eduardo Gonzalez Thursday to replace Arza as the GOP candidate in Tuesday's election, though Arza's name remains on the ballot.

Man admits role in UF student's death

One of three men charged in the beating death of a University of Florida student after last year's Florida-Georgia football game has pleaded guilty to felony battery. Mark Foss, 19, had been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Thomas Brown in downtown Jacksonville. Co-defendant Jeremy Lane, 22, was convicted in September of aggravated battery and faces up to 15 years. Alex Canzano, 22, is awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge.

FEMA trailer park hangers-on remain

Two days after a final deadline to move, about 18 families remained Thursday in a Federal Emergency Management Agency temporary trailer park established for Hurricane Charley victims in 2004. "We hope they are able to find some type of permanent housing solution so we don't have to take some kind of legal action," FEMA spokesman Michael Widomski said. The trailer park near the Charlotte County airport was once full of people who lost their homes when the storm came ashore in August 2004. FEMA extended two deadlines for moving out.

Mayor accused of ethics violation

An ethics complaint has been filed with the state against Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, accusing him of trying to boost the value of properties tied to his family by opposing efforts to give a former jet base back to the Navy. Richard Hoffman, with a group that wants the Navy to return to Cecil Field, said Peyton should have disclosed his family's controlling interest in Gate Petroleum Co., which would benefit if the former base remains a business park. Peyton called the allegation outrageous.

Burglary evidence: a big bill for porn

A 16-year-old boy is accused of repeatedly breaking into a home and watching pay-per-view porn movies. The owners of the Lehigh Acres home asked a neighbor to watch the house after noticing $267.43 worth of pornographic movies charged to their DirecTV account. The neighbor called police after seeing the teen in the home. The teen told police he stole a key the homeowner dropped and used it to enter the house nine times and watch X-rated movies while skipping school.

[Last modified November 3, 2006, 00:02:31]