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Wounded dog a mystery in neighborhood

By TIMES WIRES
Published December 21, 2006

Lisseth Chavez didn't know the dog's breed, or even its name. She just knows it was a friendly pooch that played with little kids and her dog.

And she doesn't understand why anyone would harm the big white pup with brown spots on its face.

Chavez, 19, told the Sheriff's Office that the dog disappeared for a couple of weeks from its normal hangout near her home on Singletary Road, then turned up Tuesday with wounds in its chest and shoulder. "He was walking around, but he was hurting," Chavez said Wednesday. She thought he had been shot.

Officer Carol Whitehead from Pasco County Animal Services picked up the dog Tuesday night and took it to an emergency veterinarian, who determined his wounds were at least a couple days old. Another veterinarian said the dog was probably impaled, not shot. Ultimately, it was euthanized.

"He was in such pain," Whitehead said, "and not knowing what internal organs were affected, they felt it best to put him down."

Robber threatens pregnant woman

A pregnant woman working the overnight shift at an Oakley Boulevard hotel was robbed early Wednesday by a man who threatened her and her baby, authorities said.

Kayla Register, 24, of Land O'Lakes told the Sheriff's Office that a man walked into the Sleep Inn at 5703 Oakley Blvd. about 1 a.m. and asked to use the bathroom. When he came out, he made conversation and commented on her pregnancy. Then, according to a report, the man warned Register not to press any alarms and said if she cares about her baby she would give him the money in her cash drawer. She handed it over and he ran out the front door.

A sheriff's dog and helicopter helped search the area, but the robber wasn't found.

Sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said as of Wednesday afternoon no arrests had been made. Anyone with information about the robbery should call the tip line at (800) 706-8488.

18-year-old accused of fondling girl, 13

An 18-year-old man is accused of fondling a 13-year-old girl while she slept.

John James Taylor, 1714 Upper Road, faces a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct. A Sheriff's Office report said that about 3 a.m. Tuesday, Taylor pulled up the girl's shirt and fondled her breasts. She awoke and Taylor told her, "Be quiet and I won't hurt you," the report said.

He was being held Wednesday in the county jail in Land O'Lakes in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Three teens arrested, face burglary charges

Three teenagers were arrested this week on charges of burglarizing homes in the Meadow Pointe and Palm Cove subdivisions.

James Gregory Harris, 18, of 27830 Pleasure Ride Loop, faces charges of armed burglary, burglary, grand theft and possession of burglary tools. Two other suspects, ages 17 and 15, face similar charges but the Times is withholding their names because they are minors.

Sheriff's Office reports said the teens broke into three different houses on two different nights, taking things like digital cameras, bottles of wine, video game systems and a Glock handgun.

Harris remained in the county jail Wednesday. His bail was set at $155,000.

[Last modified December 21, 2006, 07:17:25]