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Robber gets money; witness gets tag number

By TIMES WIRES
Published February 10, 2007

Jorge Napoles-Perez escaped the bank with stolen cash, police say. But it didn't take long for detectives to determine his identity. Police are searching for Napoles-Perez, 44, who they say walked into Heritage Bank at 3015 W Columbus at 11:18 a.m., handed a teller a note demanding money, then turned around and left. A witness followed the man, wrote down his car description and tag: a 1992 Infinity G20 with Florida plates T19 4RW, a car registered to an uninvolved party who police say lent it to Napoles-Perez earlier. Video and pictures of the robber are available online at www.tampagov.net/pio. Anyone with information about Napoles-Perez's whereabouts is asked to call Tampa police at (813) 231-6130.

Decomposed body found in grove

Investigators found the decomposed body of a man Thursday afternoon in an orange grove. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is trying to identify the man, who was found wearing dark pants, white tennis shoes, a black shirt and a black belt. The cause of death is unknown. A witness found the man's body at 2:41 p.m. near Grange Hall Loop and Stanaland Road east of Wimauma in southern Hillsborough County.

Youth accused of firing into library

An 18-year-old Largo man already serving time in state prison has been charged with shooting into a St. Petersburg College library last year, authorities said Friday. The shooting took place about 8 p.m. Aug. 9 at St. Petersburg College's Seminole campus, 9200 113th St. N, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The library was closed to the public, but a cleaning crew was inside when several shots were fired into the building. During the investigation, detectives identified Joshua Lerner as a suspect and determined that he was serving two years at Indian River Correctional Facility for breaking into cars and a house, stealing a motorcycle, two guns and other items. Last month, Lerner, whose nickname is "Young Money," was featured in a St. Petersburg Times story about living conditions at the jail. While a Times reporter spent two days at the jail, Lerner was sent to Indian River.

17-year-old gets 15-year sentence

Here's what Devin Politis got that night in March: three pizzas, $19 and a ride in a gray Mitsubishi Lancer that wasn't his. Here's what he got Friday in court: 15 years in prison. The 17-year-old from Spring Hill who last year helped beat nearly to death a Pizza Hut deliverer pleaded guilty to grand theft auto, armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. Attempted murder is a first-degree felony punishable by up to a life sentence. Politis, who turns 18 in two weeks, and Benjamin Jablon, 20, hit Russell Sanford with a baseball bat seven times, according to authorities. Politis agreed as part of a deal to testify against Jablon, whose trial is set for the week of March 12.

[Last modified February 10, 2007, 01:20:36]