Tampa Bay briefs

By Times staff reports

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 10, 2001

Gunman robs waitresses outside restaurant

ST. PETERSBURG -- Two waitresses were robbed at gunpoint Wednesday night after their shift ended at the WingHouse restaurant.

No one was hurt, but the unidentified robber got away with the women's tip money and purses. Both waitresses are 21 years old.

Police said the man approached the women at their car as they prepared to leave the parking lot at 11:50 p.m. at 6445 Fourth St. N. One waitress was already in the car, but the man asked the other to climb in the car and count to 100, police said. He got away with more than $100 from one waitress and less than $100 from the other.

Police described the suspect as an unshaven 24-year-old black man. He is 5 feet 7 and weighs 130 pounds. He has some gold teeth and wore a red football jersey with the number "33." He was last seen running south on Fourth Street N.

Building's power cut off because of leaky roof

ST. PETERSBURG -- The electricity was cut to about half of a downtown strip mall alongside Williams Park on Thursday evening after rain came through a leaky roof and caused sparking and arcing in the building's power room.

The power will remain off until the mall owner makes repairs and a city inspector decides the building in the 100 block of Third Street N is safe, said St. Petersburg Fire Lt. Ron Kidwell.

Tenants in the building complained that the landlord has been unwilling to repair the roof.

Rob and Kimberly Glazier, the owners of Tattoo Emporium at 141 Third St. N, said part of their business' ceiling fell in and hit a customer during Thursday's rainstorm.

Army officer sentenced for fatal car accident

TAMPA -- An Army captain who pleaded guilty to a traffic accident that killed a pregnant woman has been sentenced to 13 1/2 years in confinement, military officials said.

Joseph Piotrowski, 43, also was dismissed from the Army, reprimanded and ordered to forfeit his pay and military allowances. He was sentenced Wednesday.

Piotrowski, of Riverview, ran a stop sign and collided with a car driven by Angela Beasley on April 18, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies said.

Piotrowski's driver's license was suspended in February after two arrests on charges of driving under the influence, records show.

State prosecutors relinquished the case to the military and Piotrowski was charged with numerous counts relating to the fatal wreck and the two DUI arrests.

He pleaded guilty this week to involuntary manslaughter, drunken driving, reckless endangerment and conduct unbecoming an officer.

Florida Power reaches settlement with OSHA

CRYSTAL RIVER -- Florida Power Corp. has paid a $3,000 fine for safety hazards cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

But the utility successfully defended other charges, avoiding more than $9,000 in additional penalties proposed by the federal agency.

A settlement between the two parties resulted in Florida Power paying $1,500 each for two issues at one of its fly ash silos, part of the coal burning operation.

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