TAMPA -- Almost two years will have passed before Silvio Izquierdo-Leyva goes on trial on charges of killing five people during a rampage that began at the Radisson Bay Harbor Hotel on Dec. 30, 1999. Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett on Monday postponed Izquierdo-Leyva's trial again, pushing back his trial date from Sept. 4 to Nov. 26.

Defense lawyers said they need more time to prepare for the case, which will involve about 200 witness statements and 700 photos. Izquierdo-Leyva's attorneys plan to present an insanity defense.

Izquierdo-Leyva, 37, who worked at the Radisson on the Courtney Campbell Parkway, shot four of his co-workers, authorities say, and then fled the hotel in a stolen car. He abandoned that car in West Tampa, where he killed a motorist who refused to give up another car, according to police.

Prosecutors charged Izquierdo-Leyva with five counts of first-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted murder with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm, carjacking with a firearm and attempted carjacking. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.

Shooting suspect arrested in Georgia

TAMPA -- A Florida man wanted on attempted murder charges for shooting his girlfriend in 1992 was arrested in Rome, Ga., this weekend after an eight-year investigation, authorities said Monday.

Yusuf Shakier El-Amin, 44, was arrested Saturday by Rome County police in conjunction with Tampa and Atlanta FBI agents. El-Amin was living under the assumed name Byron Andres Cousins. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Federal authorities say on Jan. 24, 1992, El-Amin chased his girlfriend, Thelma Wilson, through her home and into a bathroom. She locked herself in and El-Amin fired six rounds through the door with a .357 Magnum handgun, striking her in the shoulder and finger. Afterward, El-Amin fled. El-Amin, who has used numerous aliases, was held in Rome County jail, awaiting extradition to Tampa.

Detectives search for hit-and-run suspect

RUSKIN -- Hillsborough County Sheriff's detectives are looking for the driver of a newer model champagne-colored Honda that struck a motorcyclist Monday afternoon at U.S. 41 and Gulf City Road south of Ruskin.

Richard Lomano, 45, of 2821 Stephens Road in Ruskin was northbound on U.S. 41 on his 1997 Honda motorcycle about 2 p.m. Monday when he was struck by the car, which fled, Lt. Rod Reder said. A side mirror of the car was left at the scene. Lomano was flown to Tampa General Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition late Monday.

Anyone with information on the accident was asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 247-8200.

Two people treated for injuries in separate fires

PINELLAS PARK -- At least two people were injured Monday in two separate fires.

In the first fire, an employee of Environmental Technologies was treated for smoke inhalation after a fire started in a paint booth about 9:10 p.m.

The victim, whose name, sex and age were unavailable Monday night, was being treated at St. Petersburg General Hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Environmental Technologies, at 6750 Bryan Dairy Road, is an international manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment.

The second fire occurred about 9:41 p.m. at the Pine Ridge Land Trust, 7505 U.S. 19.

One man suffered minor injuries in the fire, which apparently started on a stove, investigators said. The man, whose identity was not known, was taken to Northside Hospital and Heart Institute.

Police think toddler, 1 1/2, died of natural causes

ST. PETERSBURG -- Police are investigating the death of a 1 1/2 year-old boy on Monday.

The child's grandparents were babysitting the boy at 5593 21st Way S when he started vomiting, said George Kajtsa, police spokesman. "They laid the child down for a nap, and the child never woke up," Kajtsa said.

The child's name was not released because his parents have not been notified.

Police think the child died of natural causes, but an autopsy will be performed.

Man sentenced in 17-year-old beating case

DADE CITY -- Seventeen years ago, Angelia Brooks endured five days of beatings at her husband's hands while he imprisoned her inside their Odessa home. She escaped when he fell asleep, exhausted from his cocaine-fueled jealous rampage.

Facing four felony charges, William Escobio jumped bail in 1984 and disappeared. He was rumored to have been in the Dominican Republic but was recaptured in Florida by a bail bondsman last year. After a failed bid to have the charges dropped because so much time had elapsed, Escobio pleaded no contest Monday to aggravated assault and battery and a charge of false imprisonment, reduced from the original kidnapping charge. A drug charge was dropped.

Circuit Judge Maynard Swanson ruled Escobio, 63, guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison.

Escobio's former wife, Angelia Brooks, was not in court for the proceeding. She said Monday she agreed to the deal to lock Escobio in her past and get on with her life.

Teens charged in fatal car chase in Hernando

BROOKSVILLE -- Two teenage drivers face charges after a car chase in April ended with the death of a Spring Hill woman.

Eric Allen Clark, 18, of Brooksville and Mike Costantino, 19, of Staten Island, N.Y., have been charged with vehicular homicide and manslaughter by culpable negligence. Clark was arrested on Sunday, and authorities have not yet served a warrant on Costantino, a former Spring Hill resident.

The chase began the evening of April 6, after a fender-bender involving the two teens on Cortez Boulevard. Costantino told authorities that Clark fled after the accident, so he chased Clark, trying to get his tag number.

Clearwater asked to test voting system

Clearwater residents likely will be the first in Pinellas County to try new voting technology that the county must have by next fall in a statewide push to update Florida's polling places.

Pinellas Elections Supervisor Deborah Clark asked Clearwater city commissioners on Monday if city voters could try either optical scan or touch-screen systems in March 12 municipal elections, depending on which system the county decides to acquire later this year.

Clark said that using the city as a guinea pig of sorts would be an invaluable experience before the new system is used countywide in elections next fall, replacing much-maligned punch card ballots. Afterward, county workers could fine-tune new procedures and educational materials on how to use the new machines.

"We're looking for volunteers at this point," Clark said.

Commissioners didn't exactly jump at the proposition.

"Don't Dunedin and Safety Harbor have elections before us?" asked Mayor Brian Aungst, who is running for a second term in March.

Tower pushed for firefighter training

Tougher building codes, sprinkler systems and other safety measures mean Pinellas County firefighters have to put out fewer fires than they once did.

Most of the time, that's a good thing.

But it also means firefighters get less experience actually fighting fires.

"Sometimes firefighters don't see a fire every week," said Bill Naylor, public safety chief in South Pasadena. "Sometimes it's several weeks."

That's why fire chiefs from across Pinellas on Monday came to county commissioners to support the county's plan to build a $2.4-million burn tower -- a computer-controlled, fire-resistant building that fire trainers could burn over and over again.

Teen challenging Largo's curfew

LARGO -- The days of the controversial juvenile curfew in Largo may be numbered.

An attorney representing a teenager arrested for violating the city's curfew and other charges is seeking a hearing to argue that Largo's curfew is unconstitutional, city officials have learned. What has city officials concerned is that the hearing would be in front of Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court Judge Peter Ramsberger, who struck down Pinellas Park's juvenile curfew in 1998.

City officials declined to discuss details of the arrest because it involves a juvenile.

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