3 charged in fight with dancers

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 8, 2000

SPRING HILL -- A fight that began in the parking lot of a Pasco County nude-dance club ended at a Hernando County gas station Thursday with three men accused of beating up several men and dancers with a their fists and a baseball bat, authorities say. Thomas Althoff, 23, of 9316 Binnacle Drive in Port Richey faces a count of aggravated battery, two counts of battery and a count of criminal mischief. Blair A. Little, 23, of 10515 Noddy Tern Road north of Weeki Wachee faces a felony battery and aggravated battery charge. John P. Walsh, 22, of 8010 Serene St. also north of Weeki Wachee also faces a count of battery. It all began at Lollipop's in Hudson when Althoff, Little and Walsh began making rude comments to some of the dancers, a report said. A fight broke out later that night among the three men, the women and two of the women's male friends at a Hess Express at 100 Mariner Blvd. in Spring Hill. While most of the group began fighting inside the store, Althoff pulled out a baseball bat and began smashing car windows outside, the report said. When one of the dancers, Ruth Hogan, came outside, Althoff threw her to the ground and hit one of her friends, Gus Matzke, repeatedly in the face with the bat, the report said. Althoff's other friends joined in with their fists, authorities say. Little then punched another dancer, Tina Chipman, in her mouth, knocking out teeth, the report said, and then hit Matzke with the bat again. About that time, deputies arrived and arrested the three men. All three have since been released. All those injured refused medical treatment.

Man charged with abusing boy, 7

PORT RICHEY -- A man was charged with aggravated child abuse after police said he threw a 7-year-old boy in a trash can and then onto a bed, giving him several bruises and a severe cut on his right temple.

John Charles Maddox, 30, of 7418 Sea Grape Ave. in Port Richey was taking care of the boy when they got into an argument around 2 a.m. on Friday, according to a deputy's report. Police declined to release the location of the offense to protect the boy's identity.

Deputies said Maddox called the boy several names and then picked him up and threw him into a trash can at the back of the house. Then, they said, the boy hit his head when Maddox threw him onto a bed, then dragged him around the house by his wrist.

Maddox was released from the county jail at Land O'Lakes on his own recognizance.

Woman in stable condition after wreck

SEVEN SPRINGS -- A 74-year-old New Port Richey woman was in stable condition at Bayfront Medical Center late Friday after she ran a stop sign and collided with a car on Little Road.

Betty Parente of 4008 Passport Lane was driving a 1988 Lincoln eastbound on St. Lawrence Drive around 7:55 a.m. on Friday when she ran a stop sign at Little Road and drove into the path of a southbound 1999 Pontiac driven by Louis Frantz of Brandonburg, Ky., according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release. Frantz and the car's three occupants, Claire Frantz, John Shipley and Marjorie Shipley, were not seriously injured, but according to the release, Parente sustained serious injuries.

Both cars sustained about $5,000 in damage.

Deputies seek man involved in chase

HOLIDAY -- Deputies are seeking a man who led them on a high-speed chase down Briar Hill Court around 5:15 a.m. on Thursday, almost causing several accidents before he pulled into a driveway, jumped out the window of his still-moving car and ran away.

Deputies started chasing the man when he drove a red two-door Pontiac Grand Am into a Winn-Dixie parking lot after almost causing an accident on U.S. 19. When a deputy caught up with him in the parking lot, he covered his face and took off east down Briar Hill Court. Then he pulled into the driveway of a house at 4926 Briar Hill Court and jumped out the car window, running into the woods near the house. The car kept going until it hit a chain-link fence and stopped in the woods.

Deputies described the suspect as a white man, possibly a juvenile, wearing a black baseball cap, a dark shirt and blue jeans.

Woman reports flasher at K-mart

BAYONET POINT -- Police are seeking a man who was masturbating seminaked in the parking lot of a K-Mart on Thursday morning.

A witness told police she pulled into the parking lot at 12412 U.S. 19 around 8:45 a.m. Thursday and started walking toward the front door. A dark green truck pulled up beside her, she told deputies, and the man driving the truck was masturbating and not wearing a shirt or pants. A deputy's report did not specify if the man was wearing any other garments. The man did not say anything and drove away slowly toward the back of the K-mart, the woman told deputies.

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