Tampa Bay briefs

By Times staff writers

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 12, 2001

Three men arrested in drug sting

TAMPA -- Three Hillsborough County men were arrested late Friday in an undercover sting operation that netted $70,000, two cars, 700 grams of cocaine and a 9mm handgun.

Jason Gomez, 23, Orlando Vazquez Jr., 23, and Isabello Santiago, 24, tried to buy 4,000 tablets of ecstasy from an undercover officer, authorities say.

Ecstasy, a methamphetamine, is also known as MDMA. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Rod Reder said they are considered major dealers of the drug.

Santiago of 6314 S Adelia Ave. is being held without bail in county jail, charged with three counts of trafficking in illegal drugs, armed trafficking in cocaine, a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of marijuana and two counts of obstructing an officer.

Gomez of 7108 Pat Blvd. is being held on $102,500 bail, charged with trafficking in MDMA, conspiring to traffic in and possession of MDMA.

Vazquez of 6104 Webb Road is being held on $40,500 bail, charged with two counts of trafficking in MDMA and marijuana possession.

Teen follows erratic driver, blocks him in for officers

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Eighteen-year-old Jennifer Psihogios was driving home from a late night food run to Wendy's on Sunday when a red Chevrolet Spectrum swerved into her lane on Rowan Road, then back out again.

With her two younger sisters and their friend in the car, Psihogios decided to pass the Chevrolet, unsure of what the driver was up to. But as she moved into the left lane near Trouble Creek Road, the driver ran her gold Plymouth Neon off the road and almost into the median.

She figured the driver must be intoxicated, so she called 911. Then she decided to follow the car herself.

After a few minutes of Psihogios honking her horn and watching the driver sideswipe a concrete retaining wall, he pulled into the Hess gas station on the corner of Plathe and Rowan roads. She followed, along with the driver of a taxicab who had seen her car get pushed off the road.

Donald Linsley Brush III, the driver of the red Chevrolet, stumbled out of his car and fell on his behind, according to Pasco Sheriff's Office reports.

Psihogios said Brush admitted to witnesses that he had a few drinks earlier that night and agreed to hang around until deputies arrived.

But when Brush swung his feet back into the car, Psihogios thought he would try to take off. She jumped in her car and pulled it up diagonally along the right side of Brush's vehicle. The taxicab driver blocked Brush in from the back.

"I didn't even give him time to start the car or nothing," she said. "This guy was not leaving, no way."

Deputies arrested Brush, 40, of 8935 Moon Lake Road, New Port Richey, at 1:48 a.m. and charged him with driving under the influence.

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