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Teen shot while standing outside home

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 2, 2008

CLEARWATER

A 19-year-old man was shot while standing with a group of people outside his home early Tuesday, Clearwater police say. Detectives say Cordarel Jeter was shot by Willie Ashley of Safety Harbor, who fired into a crowd in the 1100 block of Tangerine Street about 1:20 a.m. Jeter was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in critical condition with two gunshot wounds. He was later listed in stable condition, police said. The shooting apparently stemmed from a fight with one of Jeter's family members earlier in the night, police said. A witness followed a car after the shooting and told police where it went. Ashley was arrested a few minutes later on attempted homicide charges.e_SClBLake Wales

Charges upgraded in fire attack

The man police say is responsible for a December attack now faces two counts of first-degree murder. Authorities upgraded charges Monday against Leon David Jr., accused of setting two women on fire during a robbery in Lake Wales. Davis was charged in the deaths of Yvonne Bustamante and an infant delivered prematurely after the Dec. 13 attack. Police say Davis, 30, doused Bustamante and her sister-in-law, Juanita "Jane" Luciano, with gas and set them on fire during a robbery of the Nationwide insurance office where the women worked. Luciano was 5 1/2 months pregnant; her son died a day later. Bustamante died Dec. 18. Luciano remains hospitalized in Orlando in critical condition.

OLDSMAR

Man loses control of motorcycle, dies

A 39-year-old Palm Harbor man was killed early Tuesday when he lost control of his motorcycle while traveling at high speed, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The man, who was not identified because authorities are still trying to reach his next of kin, was traveling north on East Lake (Business) Road near Woodlands Parkway about 1:50 a.m. He was not wearing a helmet.

TAMPA

Pedestrian killed crossing street

A man was killed early Tuesday when he was struck by a car while trying to cross a street in north Hillsborough County. Bernard Hunter, 61, was headed west across Nebraska Avenue north of Fletcher Avenue about 12:20 a.m. when he was hit by Julie Plaza-Rodriguez, 28, in a 1994 Chevrolet station wagon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Plaza-Rodriguez of 1250 Skipper Road was headed north on Nebraska Avenue in the outside lane when Hunter stepped into the road, the patrol said. Plaza-Rodriguez had three children - ages 1, 5 and 6 - in the car with her. The investigation of the accident was ongoing, and no charges had been filed Tuesday, according to the Highway Patrol.

Abducted woman returns safely

A woman police say was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend turned up safe several hours later. Danielle Perez, 24, was taken at knifepoint from her home at 934 Lakewood Ave. about 5 p.m. Monday. By midnight, she had called her uncle and made arrangements to meet detectives, said the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Her ex-boyfriend, Otano Anton Leggett, 29, is wanted on charges of domestic battery, aggravated assault and false imprisonment. Anyone with information on Leggett was asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.

[Last modified January 1, 2008, 23:01:49]