Boy accused of stabbing girl in eye with pen

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 16, 2008

DADE CITY

A 14-year-old boy was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated battery after deputies say he stabbed a 13-year-old girl in the eye with a pen, possibly damaging her vision permanently. She slapped him first, he said. The stabbing took place on the afternoon bus ride home from Centennial Middle School, Pasco sheriff's deputies said. The boy began to taunt her, the girl told deputies. Shut up, was the seventh-grader's response to the teases. She said she'd slap him if he didn't stop, according to the report. The boy told deputies he giggled at the threat. But she followed through, and he stabbed her in the left eye. She was transported to Lakeland Regional Hospital for emergency surgery. He showed no remorse for his actions, deputies said. When he heard that the girl may be seriously injured, deputies said this was his response: "Good. She should have kept her hands to herself."

TAMPA

Clearwater lawyer to take bomb case

A Clearwater attorney has been assigned to the case of a suspended University of South Florida student accused of carrying explosives. Bruce G. Howie was appointed late Monday to represent Ahmed Mohamed, a 26-year-old Egyptian facing federal charges. Mohamed had been represented by Tampa attorney John Fitzgibbons, but Mohamed requested another lawyer be assigned to the case. Howie said he knew of the case from news reports but hadn't yet seen discovery documents. He is the chairman of the legal panel for the Pinellas American Civil Liberties Union and represented Ghassan Ballut, a co-defendant in the Al-Arian case.

Police continue to dig for woman

Temple Terrace police reported no new developments Tuesday in the search for missing woman Sandra Prince beneath a South Tampa home. Temple Terrace spokesman Michael Dunn said detectives plan to return to 3908 W Vasconia St. on Wednesday, marking day six of the most current search at the home. Dunn said contractors were at the site part of the day Tuesday, but he wouldn't comment on what they were doing. Prince, 59, was first reported missing from her Temple Terrace home by neighbors on Jan. 3, 2006.

WESLEY CHAPEL

Girl arrested with knife at school

A 12-year-old girl was arrested Monday after she brought a 12-inch butcher knife to Dr. John Long Middle School, Pasco sheriff's deputies say. The girl had the knife concealed in her handbag. She planned to stab a female student and leave the girl's body in the bathroom, deputies said she told them. She was charged with bringing a weapon onto school grounds and was taken to the juvenile assessment center at the Land O'Lakes jail.

BARTOW

Polk jail inmate found hanged

A Polk County jail inmate hanged himself with a sheet Tuesday, becoming the second inmate to kill himself by hanging in less than a month, The Ledger of Lakeland reported. David Spalding, 26, was first booked into jail April 6, 2006, on three counts of sexual battery on a child.

[Last modified January 16, 2008, 00:42:57]