Woman, 37, charged in attack after car wreck

By Times staff writers

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 30, 2000

NEW PORT RICHEY -- A Holiday woman was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated assault with a motor vehicle after a traffic accident on Kilarney Court, Pasco County sheriff's deputies said.

Karna Sue Rittenhouse of 4846 Zodiac Drive tried to flee the scene of the late-night traffic accident, deputies said. She put her 2000 Dodge pickup truck in reverse and accelerated toward the other person involved in the accident, who had to jump on the bumper of her vehicle to avoid being hit.

Rittenhouse was arrested in her home. It was her 37th birthday.

She was being held Saturday at the Land O'Lakes jail on $2,500 bail.

Man charged with lewd behavior

NEW PORT RICHEY -- A 36-year-old Hudson man was arrested Friday at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct and simple battery after an undercover officer said the man touched him and expressed interest in sexual acts, deputies said.

Neil Richard Olsen of 13243 U.S. 19 met the undercover officer in the men's restroom, began to masturbate and then sat down on the bench outside the restroom, deputies said.

He then stood up, touched the officer in the genital area and said he was interested in oral sex, deputies said.

Olsen was being held Saturday at the Land O'Lakes jail on $1,000,500 bail. The charges against him include two outstanding warrants from Hillsborough County for failure to appear on worthless check charges.

Man charged with DUI after Friday accident

NEW PORT RICHEY -- A 39-year-old New Port Richey man was arrested Friday and charged with driving under the influence after he was involved in an accident with an off-duty sheriff's deputy, Florida Highway Patrol officers said.

Anthony A. Weltz of 4406 Terry Loop had a 0.241 blood alcohol level -- more than three times the legal limit -- authorities said, after the Halifax Drive accident involving Deputy Kurt Pinto's private car, a 1994 Ford.

Both men were taken to Community Hospital. Weltz was charged with DUI, DUI injuries and DUI property damage. Weltz was being held Saturday at the Land O'Lakes jail on $1,000 bail.

Teen charged with having handcuff key

HUDSON -- When Pasco County sheriff's deputies arrested Charles David Sparks Friday on a violation of probation charge, they noticed he was sporting a necklace -- with a handcuff key attached.

Sparks, 18, was charged with unlawful possession of a handcuff key, a new crime.

In April, Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill that allows authorities to charge people in police custody with a third-degree felony if they are caught with a concealed handcuff key.

The legislation was in response to the 1998 killings of two Tampa police detectives and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper by Hank Earl Carr. Carr was being taken in for questioning in the death of his girlfriend's son when he used a hidden handcuff key to escape.

Sparks, who told deputies his address is 12131 Woodrow Lane, Hudson, is being held at the county jail in Land O'Lakes on $5,013 bail. He also was charged with violating his probation in Pinellas County for not having a valid driver's license.

Man accused of illegally seeking prescription

DADE CITY -- A 45-year-old man who told police that he is a professor at Saint Leo University was arrested Friday and charged with obtaining prescription drugs by fraud, police said.

George Cruz of 3280 Lambert Ave. in Springhill phoned in a prescription for propoxyphene, a narcotic pain reliever, to Eckerd pharmacy in Dade City while posing as a doctor, police said.

When the pharmacist called to confirm the prescription, she learned that the doctor did not authorize the prescription, police said.

Neither Cruz nor Saint Leo officials could be reached for comment Saturday.

According to police, Cruz said he is addicted to the medication because of a previous injury.

He posted $10,000 bail Friday and was released from the Land O'Lakes jail.

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