Firefighters: John's Pass Village fire was arson

Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 16, 2000

MADEIRA BEACH -- Fire investigators know this much: The blaze that drew in 100 firefighters and claimed several businesses in John's Pass Village was arson.

Beyond that, Madeira Beach Fire Chief Brian Turini said the Sheriff's Office Arson Task Force handling the investigation has conducted several interviews but identified no suspects.

The Monday morning fire claimed at least 11 businesses and damaged as many as five more.

One store owner, Bill Hoyt of the Global Candle Gallery, which received slight damage in the fire, said he turned over his store's surveillance video to investigators. Hoyt said he was unsure whether what he saw on the tape would be of help.

Turini said he expects the arson task force to release a report next week.

Man accused of ramming cars to be examined

TAMPA -- A man, who police said stole a Mack truck last month and deliberately rammed a dozen cars in a downtown parking lot, then told witnesses the government had implanted a computer chip in his stomach, will spend time at a state psychiatric facility.

Circuit Judge Barbara Fleischer on Tuesday ordered Anthony Diveley to the forensic hospital in Chattahoochee for testing to determine his competency.

Diveley, 38, faces 21 counts of criminal mischief and one count of grand theft of a motor vehicle.

Doctors at the hospital will examine Diveley, after which a competency hearing will be scheduled. Defendants must possess the capacity to understand the legal process and assist in their defense to stand trial. Competency has nothing to do with a defendant's state of mind at the time of the crime.

Teen injured in fall still in critical condition

KENNETH CITY -- A 15-year-old boy who fell from a treehouse and was impaled on a fence remained in critical condition Tuesday, authorities said.

Jared Raible, of 7744 Bristol Court, was 20 feet above the ground when he lost his balance Saturday while pounding a nail. He fell onto a wooden fence, which pierced his neck.

The boy and a friend built the treehouse on land owned by Pinellas County in the Lealman area. County workers spent part of the day taking down the treehouse.

Man takes plea deal in fatal shooting accident

TAMPA -- The man whose gun was used in the accidental shooting death of a 12-year-old boy last summer agreed to a plea deal Tuesday that will keep him out of prison.

Gonsalo Rios, 39, pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable negligence and stood quietly as the judge sentenced him to two years of house arrest to be followed by three years of probation.

He must also perform 100 hours of community service, pay about $500 in restitution and forfeit any firearms. He had faced 6 1/2 years in prison if convicted.

Rios, who lives in Ruskin, did not comment after the hearing.

Rios' son, Jose Meza, who was 11 at the time, and his son's cousin, Jorge Garcia, 12, were in the cab of Rios' semitrailer truck on July 29. One of the boys found a .22-caliber handgun that Rios had tucked under the mattress in the cab's sleeping compartment, prosecutors said. About 4:30 a.m., Jose was playing with the gun when it went off. The bullet hit Jorge in the eye. He died 17 hours later at Tampa General Hospital.

Two Costa Rican students die in accident on I-75

SAN ANTONIO, Fla. -- Costa Rican college students Ronny Aguilar and Oscar Campos arrived in the United States in December to broaden their educational experiences and make some money.

But that was cut short Monday night, when they were in a car accident on a rain-slickened Interstate 75. They were killed instantly.

At 8:05 p.m., Aguilar lost control of the 1993 Ford and it veered across the grass median just south of the State Road 52 interchange and slammed into a northbound semitrailer truck, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Tuesday, as other Costa Rican students who work at Saddlebrook with them mourned the loss, a small white cross marked the site of the collision.

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