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    By Times staff writers

    © St. Petersburg Times, published January 4, 2001


    Man arrested at Wal-Mart, charged with voyeurism

    PLANT CITY -- A man was arrested after he installed a tiny video camera in the toe of his sneaker and then followed women around a store to look up their skirts with the gadget, police said.

    Daniel W. Searfoss, 42, was charged with voyeurism Sunday and taken to the Hillsborough County jail, investigators said. He was released on $500 bond later that day.

    Two women at a local Wal-Mart complained to managers and police Sunday that Searfoss had been following them around the store, Plant City police detective Kevin Shultz said. One of the women said she saw a camera on one of Searfoss' sneakers, Shultz said.

    Searfoss, who told police he was a mechanic, was held by store security while they waited for police to arrive. When authorities got there, they found Searfoss with a sophisticated filming system, Police Chief Bill McDaniel said.

    "He had a camera in his shoe and wires that went up his pants and came out at his waist," McDaniel said.

    "It's the first time that I know of that someone did such an elaborate job. He had his shoes specially altered for this."

    The wires were connected to a videocassette recorder carried inside a bag, McDaniel said. Police examined the tapes and saw that other unsuspecting women had also been snooped upon.

    McDaniel said Plant City enacted the voyeurism law in 1998 because of similar problems at public beaches and restrooms. Voyeurism is the lewd or indecent watching, filming or taping of any person without that person's knowledge or consent.

    Cyclist killed in collision identified as father of 2

    LUTZ -- A man struck and killed on his bicycle Tuesday night was identified Wednesday as Lonnie Swails, 38, a father of two who lived about a mile away.

    Swails of 18502 Walker Road was riding on Sunset Lane when he was hit about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. Investigators said he had dark clothing and no reflectors on the bicycle. He died at the scene.

    They said Won Lee, 47, who also lived nearby, tried to swerve, but his Toyota knocked Swails from the bicycle. No charges were filed.

    Swails' father said his son co-owned an auto window repair business with his brother and raced a Camaro as a hobby. His wife and children were on a trip to Pennsylvania.

    Theft of bride's car, gown, ring fail to halt wedding

    TAMPA -- With four hours to go before her New Year's Eve wedding, Julie Negron was getting her hair upswept into a fancy 'do at Tribeca, an upscale South Tampa salon.

    The wedding gown, shoes, gifts and money were locked in her late-model Honda Accord parked nearby.

    Also in there was the diamond and sapphire ring from her fiance, Paul DeLacy.

    According to the plan, Negron, manager of the Cactus Club restaurant, would change into her finery at the Radisson, where she was getting married. Then she would make a grand entrance down the staircase for the ceremony.

    But Negron was still in the stylist's chair, when the maid of honor broke the news: Her friends could not find her car.

    The frantic bride-to-be rushed outside, and then inside, and then outside again. The truth sank in. The car was gone.

    It had been stolen.

    As Negron's makeup began to melt in her tears, her maid of honor and another friend quickly got to work.

    They managed to find a bridal store still open at 4 p.m. New Year's Eve: David's Bridal, the same store where she originally bought her dress. And they had one dress left in that design.

    The bad news: The dress, a size 4, was smaller than the size 6 that the 5-foot-3 Negron had bought and had altered.

    But the wedding, complete with about 65 guests, some arriving from as far as South Africa, had to go on.

    Negron dried her tears, climbed into the too-small dress, held her breath and got married, albeit a little late from filling out the police report.

    Her car was recovered the next day, dented and gutted, with no belongings left inside. The thief even ripped out the change holder.

    Papa John's pizza driver still in serious condition

    ST. PETERSBURG -- The Papa John's pizza driver shot during a robbery Monday remained in serious condition Wednesday at Bayfront Medical Center.

    Stephen R. Cobett, 34, was shot in the head outside Lakewood United Methodist Church, 5995 Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) St. S, after being lured to the church by a phony customer who called in a pizza order, police say.

    No one has been arrested. Police are treating the case as an attempted murder.

    On Wednesday, company officials set up counseling services for employees and Cobett's family, met with managers to review safety procedures and announced two safety measures.

    Drivers' cars will no longer have the lighted car toppers that advertise the pizza chain, and the stores will randomly call back customers to verify phone numbers and orders, said Patrick Eskridge, director of operations for Pinellas County stores.

    Eskridge said they will not stop delivering to any parts of the county. "I don't think we're a target," Eskridge said. "It looked more of a random act."

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