Crime Journal
By Times Staff Writer
Published December 28, 2007
BRANDON
Robbers strike 3 businesses within an hour
Hillsborough Sheriff's Office officials are investigating a string of armed robberies that took place over the course of an hour early Thursday. The first was reported at 2:26 a.m. at a 7-Eleven convenience store at 1902 U.S. 301 N., where two men took cash and a case of Heineken beer. Twenty-five minutes later and six blocks away, another armed robbery was reported, this time at a Waffle House restaurant at 6502 U.S. 301. Then, at 3:07 a.m., another Waffle House at 1902 Lumsden Road was robbed. The two suspects took cash from the register and pistol-whipped the cook, a 23-year-old woman, before leaving the restaurant. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue treated the woman at the scene for a large bruise on her head. Anyone with any information about the robberies are asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, 247-8200, or Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-873-8477.
TAMPA
Dover man named as shooting victim
The man shot to death in the Starlite Mobile Home Park on Wednesday night has been identified as Pascual Garcia Lopez, 27, of Dover. Hillsborough sheriff's investigators say Garcia was sitting on his porch in the Dover mobile home park when he was approached by three Hispanic men. The suspects and Garcia talked, then one man pulled a gun and fired, striking Garcia, who stumbled into the mobile home and died. Anyone with any information about the crime is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-873-8477.
BROOKSVILLE
Officer fired for snooping in files
A Brooksville police officer was fired last week for reportedly leaving her position to dig through computer files of her immediate supervisor. Diana Lopez, 41, a two-year veteran of the Brooksville Police Department, was accused of looking into another officer's files on a shared computer in the patrol office, according to new documents released Thursday. An administrative review of Lopez's case, which was conducted solely by Chief George Turner, concluded she violated 13 departmental policies by accessing the files of interim Sgt. Josh Caldwell. It ended with a disciplinary hearing Dec. 19 and her dismissal two days later. "She hunted" for those files, Turner said. Lopez's attorney, Michael Krohn, said Lopez plans to appeal her termination.