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Week in reviewBy Times staff writer © St. Petersburg Times, published February 25, 2001 A WEEK OF FIRES: Firefighters battled a blaze at the Foxcroft apartment complex Tuesday after two men in an upstairs unit left a burning pot on the stove, fire officials said. At least 20 people were left homeless and 16 apartments were destroyed, but no one was injured. Jaime Frangie and his brother-in-law, Johnny Giraldo, alerted neighbors and called 911. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue estimated the complex at 8702 N Dale Mabry Highway sustained $500,000 damage. Spokesman Ray Yeakley said a sprinkler system at the complex would have saved the building but that sprinklers were not required when the two-story building was approved 20 years ago and are not mandatory now. A tower of black smoke could be seen from Davis Islands to Carrollwood as dozens of firefighters fought the blaze about 2:30 p.m. Another fire raced through a wooded ravine just north of the Citrus Park Town Center on Tuesday but did not threaten the mall or nearby homes. The 3:30 p.m. blaze scorched about 100 Tampa Electric Co.-owned acres north of the mall, east of the Colonial Grant at Citrus Park apartment complex on Sheldon Road, and south of the Citrus Point subdivision on Ehrlich Road. Late Wednesday, fire severely damaged four units at the Village at Turtle Creek Apartments complex, leaving four families homeless. No one was injured in the blaze, which started in a kitchen trash can and was ruled accidental, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spokesman Ray Yeakley said. Flames at the complex, north of Bearss Avenue and west of Livingston Avenue, were brought under control in 30 minutes. The property manager found temporary homes for the displaced residents. SICKLES THREAT CAME FROM SOMEBODY ELSE: A 16-year-old Sickles High School student accused of writing a death threat letter to his special-education teacher last week is no longer a suspect, the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. The student was on a 10-day suspension when he was pinpointed as the culprit. The letter-writer blamed the teacher for getting him expelled and assistant principal Jake Russell said the suspected student's handwriting matched the handwriting in the letter. Deputies last week began looking at other suspects, Lt. Rod Reder said. The student, meanwhile, is being moved to another school. District spokesman Mark Hart said the letter probably was a hoax but must be treated seriously. DEPUTY ALLEGES RACIAL PROFILING AT MALL: A black Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy has sued J.C. Penney Co. Inc., saying he was trailed by a security officer in the Citrus Park Mall store after he bought some ties in the men's department. Michael Freeman, 42, also alleges in the lawsuit filed in Hillsborough Circuit Court that he was defamed by Troy Hamby, a manager for Citrus Park Mall. Freeman has been employed with the Sheriff's Office for four years and also serves as pastor of Upon-This-Rock A.M.E. Zion Church in north Tampa. According to the lawsuit, he complained to the store manager on Jan. 11, and later contacted the district manager, who agreed to investigate. On Jan. 20, Freeman was told that Hamby, of the Citrus Park Mall loss prevention department, had e-mailed the Sheriff's Office saying, "This black male claimed to be a HCSO deputy. This man was very hostile, he used vulgarities and threatened my officer. I would hope this is not true, but after much consideration I thought someone should know what is going on with there (sic) officers." Freeman claims the e-mail is false and that it maligned his reputation. In addition to defamation, Freeman claims reckless infliction of emotional distress and intentional interference with an employment relationship. He seeks in excess of $15,000 in damages. The mall did not comment but a spokeswoman for JCPenney provided a copy of company policy, which prohibits racial discrimination. LIVE OAKS DEVELOPER EXPLORES CITY ANNEXATION: The developer of the Live Oak housing community has asked the city about a possible annexation. Representatives from St. Lucie West Development Corp., which is still negotiating to buy the property, met with city officials this month about building up to 1,599 single-family homes on 1,285 acres of pastureland south of County Line Road and east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. St. Lucie West vice president Jim Zboril said the company is completing purchase plans for the land. Ron Rotella, the mayor's special consultant on development, met with the developer. However, Pebble Creek and Cross Creek likely would have to be annexed into the city before Live Oak could be added. JUDGE ACCEPTS PLEA AFTER DRUNKEN DRIVING DEATHS: Family and friends filled three rows Thursday as Judge Cynthia Holloway accepted a guilty plea from Michael Dale Jones, who was 17 when he killed three teens while driving drunk in September 1999. Killed in the crash on Sheldon Road were Ashley A. Rubera, 15, Jodee Suzanne Beam, 19, and Marc A. Berenguer, 19. Family members asked Holloway to sentence Jones to life. Holloway had said earlier this year that she could sentence Jones, who was 17 at the time of the crash, as a youthful offender. But on Thursday, Holloway warned Jones that she had not decided on any sentence yet. Scores of family members are scheduled to testify at Jones's sentencing on April 6. LETO HIGH RECONFIGURES DAY: The School Board approved Leto High School's request to add a seventh class period in the 2001-2002 school year. Sixty-minute classes will be shortened to 50 minutes and the additional time will be used for academic, technical, elective or remedial courses.
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