Police say man tried to molest girl

By AMY WIMMER

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 1, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Until Saturday, a St. Petersburg family knew Edward Bouver Shubert only as an unemployed man who wandered around their neighborhood.

But Saturday evening, police say, a man snatched the family's 10-year-old girl from her back yard and carried her into a neighbor's bushes. Police say he fondled her and tried to force her to perform a sex act.

He was discovered by the girl's 7-year-old sister, and their mother called police. St. Petersburg police officers found Shubert minutes later as he ran from the area.

Shubert, 35, of 6441/2 23rd Ave. S, is charged with kidnapping and attempted capital sexual battery. He is being held at the Pinellas County Jail on $70,000 bail.

Meanwhile, on Grove Street S, where the incident occurred, a cousin babysitting for the girls is being more careful about watching over them.

"They play inside. I don't let them play outside," said the cousin, whose name is being withheld by the Times to protect the victim's identity.

Shubert is no stranger to the Pinellas County Jail. He has several arrests dating back to the 1980s, though he has never been charged with a sex crime.

Most of his past offenses have been for trespassing, burglary or drug-related crimes. In most cases, he spent short stints in the county jail, serving two to 60 days for crimes like petty theft and disorderly conduct.

The cousin who babysits the girls said she recognized the man, who lives nearby, because he often meanders the streets near their house.

The sisters were playing in the back yard early Saturday evening when the 10-year-old told her sister to run to the front yard to get their baby cousin. While the younger girl was gone, police say, Shubert scooped up the 10-year-old and pulled her behind a tall privacy fence.

The man is accused of pulling down his pants and trying to force her to perform oral sex. He also is accused of fondling her. The 10-year-old screamed, and when the 7-year-old returned to the back yard, she saw Shubert and her sister, police say.

She ran to tell her grandmother, who called the girls' mother, who then called police.

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