In the know

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 25, 2008

DADE CITY

Older relative found guilty of rape, incest

A jury convicted Aquileo Mendoza on Thursday of raping and impregnating a young relative. After a three-day trial, it took the jury almost 90 minutes to find Mendoza guilty of criminal charges of unlawful sexual activity and incest. Authorities say Mendoza first forced himself onto the relative when she was 12 years old and repeatedly raped her until she was 18. The victim gave birth in September 2006, according Pasco County Sheriff's Office reports, but the sexual abuse did not end until that December. The St. Petersburg Times is not identifying the victim because of the nature of the crime. The 50-year-old Trilby man faces up to 35 years in prison, and will be sentenced by Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa on March 24.

HUDSON

Pulte sells home sites to investors

More home lots are changing hands, (no) thanks to the housing downturn. Pulte Homes sold Lakeside, a 438-acre community southwest of Hudson Avenue and Hays Road, to a Tampa developer and a Chicago investor. Landeavor and Chicago-based Walton Street Capital said Thursday the deal is part of their long-term investment strategy, but didn't disclose the sale price. Lakeside, which has about 855 home sites, has been a subject of development interest for years, passing first from an Orlando investor to Pulte before ending up with Landeavor. "Landeavor has acquired a well-executed planned community that we know will continue to be a success, while Pulte was able to redeploy resources to fulfill its current business strategies," said Adam Lorry, managing principal of Landeavor, in a news release.

[Last modified January 24, 2008, 21:55:29]