Digest

Crime journal

By TIMES STAFF
Published August 7, 2007

TAMPA

MAN KILLED IN GUNFIGHT WITH DEPUTIES

A man sent sheriff's deputies to check on his distraught brother Monday, concerned he might kill himself. But the brother, armed with a shotgun and two handguns, fired at deputies and all three fired back, the Sheriff's Office reported. Paul Anthony Daniels, 46, was killed in the exchange. The incident escalated shortly after the first deputy arrived about 2 p.m. at the Citrus Park home at 7701 Citronella Court. Daniels told her through the door that he had weapons, the Sheriff's Office said. Deputies said Daniels pulled a shotgun and fired twice at Deputy Art Lence, striking his patrol car's windshield and hood. Daniels moved to another area of the yard, and fired at Deputies Jerry White and Mark Curran, who were crouched behind their patrol car, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. All three deputies have been placed on administrative leave with pay, pending a review.

'Mother' was really a sheriff's deputy

For days, Samuel Matthews traded telephone calls with a woman he thought was the cash-strapped mother of an 11-year-old girl. Prosecutors said Matthews offered money for permission to take nude pictures of her daughter. But the mother was really an undercover Hillsborough County sheriff's detective. Now the 54-year-old convicted sex offender is on trial in federal court on a charge of attempting to produce child pornography. During her opening statement Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke said Matthews became obsessed with the 11-year-old sister of his roommate's god-daughter. Bedke said Matthews asked his roommate, Freddie Harvey, for naked pictures of her. Harvey got the Sheriff's Office involved, Bedke said. Matthews' attorney, Dionja Dyer, told jurors that while her client may have wanted to look at pictures of the girl, there was no evidence he ever planned to take any himself. He will get a minimum mandatory sentence of 35 years if he is convicted.

Bones are found at construction site

Construction workers excavating Monday behind a Winn-Dixie supermarket at 5715 Gunn Highway discovered bones that may be human, said Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter. Forensics experts are still investigating, she said.

GIBSONTON

Man slips off monitoring device

Hillsborough sheriff's deputies are searching for a 24-year-old man they say removed a monitoring device and disappeared Saturday. Travis Jerome Riley of 1689 Kracker Ave. was awaiting trial on assault and battery charges. He is accused of attacking Jeffrey Price, 31, on Dec. 29. Price stabbed Riley in self-defense, deputies say, and Riley lost a lung. About a month later, deputies say, Riley's friends stabbed Price to death while Riley waited in a nearby car. Richard Morse Jr., 18, Ralph Woods, 25, and Raymond Sample, 27, face charges of first-degree murder. Riley was ordered to wear the ankle bracelet after he was released from jail in February to await trial. Deputies are asking anyone with information to call (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477).

[Last modified August 6, 2007, 23:51:42]