Digest

Crime journal

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 12, 2007

TARPON SRINGS

Shrimp boat deckhand stillmissing in gulf

Authorities Tuesday identified Joseph Reed, 40, as the deckhand who fell off a commercial shrimping vessel and is missing in the Gulf of Mexico. Reed of Tarpon Springs fell off the back of the Charlee Girl, a 69-foot boat. The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at 4:17 p.m. Monday. They searched for the missing man with a 41-foot rescue boat from the Sand Key station and a HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter from the Clearwater Air Station. As of Tuesday afternoon, Reed, who was not wearing a life vest, had not been found. Charlee Girl was about 35 miles west of Tarpon Springs at the time of the accident, according to the Coast Guard. A crew member jumped in the water and tried to bring Reed back aboard, authorities said.

TAMPA

Errant driver hits cars at dealership

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies said several vehicles were struck in the parking lot of a local car dealership early this morning. The driver of a white Ford entered a parking lot at the Toyota of Tampa Bay dealership, 1101 E Fletcher Ave., about 1:40 a.m. and struck several cars, officials said. The driver of the Ford remains at large. No injuries were reported. It's unclear how much damage was caused by the incident. A call to the dealership was not returned Tuesday.

THONOTOSASSA

Vandals ransack concession stand

Vandals who hit a concession stand owned by the Temple Terrace Pony Baseball League were especially thorough in their destructiveness. First they broke a lock using a concrete paver. They ransacked the place, dumping Gatorade bottles, corndogs, candy and the contents of a freezer on the floor. They set off fire extinguishers, covering everything with powder. Finally, they stuck a hose in the door lock hole and left the water running overnight.

HUDSON

Stabbing death likely self-inflicted

What was initially reported as a suspicious death Monday night now appears to have been a suicide, Pasco County sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said Tuesday. Concerned family members broke into the home of Christopher Vaccarello, 52, at 12735 Fifth Isle, and found him with a knife wound, apparently self-inflicted. It was unclear when he died.

[Last modified September 12, 2007, 00:11:03]