Northpinellas: Pinellas digest

LARGO -- Police have charged a woman with insurance fraud on suspicion she and her husband hired a man to burn their BMW so they could collect insurance money. Dorothy Lorane Newlove, 40, of 8360 121st Place N admitted to the charge in an interview with detectives, police say. She was arrested Wednesday. Her husband, Andrew Newlove, was charged last month with being a principal to arson in connection with the scheme. Police said he hired friend Kirk Moody to tow his car to a spot on Oak Manor Lane on July 12. Moody poured gasoline throughout the car and lit it, police said. Police said an investigation found that Newlove planned to collect money from an insurance company for the loss of the vehicle. He had already filed a claim with his insurance company when he was arrested, police said. Moody also was arrested last month on an arson charge. Police said the BMW hadn't run for eight months to a year prior to the arson, police said.

Firefighter is found not guilty of battery

LARGO -- A St. Petersburg firefighter arrested in May on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge was found not guilty in a jury trial Wednesday. Michael Joseph Spinelli, 39, a six-year veteran of the St. Petersburg Fire Department, was arrested May 9 on suspicion he grabbed his wife's arm and threw her onto a shelf in his garage, according to an arrest report by Largo police. The couple was going through a divorce at the time but living together, said Terry Brocklehurst, Spinelli's attorney. They have since separated, though the divorce is still pending, he said. Brocklehurst said the altercation "was incidental contact . . . nothing that he intended or really caused." Police officers arrested Spinelli after seeing swelling on his wife's wrist, arrest reports state. Brocklehurst said the arrest "was by the book, but the book is rough on people these days." After Spinelli's arrest, fire officials said they would take no immediate action against him, but would wait to see what happened in court. Now that Spinelli has been acquitted, he will remain an employee in good standing, said Jim Large, assistant fire chief. "We took no action originally because it was strictly an accusation at that point," Large said. "He's a good employee, and we're happy that it worked out for the best for him." A firefighter convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery can be suspended for conduct unbecoming an employee, Large said.

Police officers are promoted

LARGO -- Two city police sergeants have been promoted to lieutenant and two officers have been promoted to sergeant, police officials announced. Sgts. Jim Precious and Brenda Wayt have been promoted to lieutenant, while Officers George Edmiston and Steve Slaughter have been promoted to sergeant. The four will be sworn into their new positions at the 7 p.m. Largo commission meeting Tuesday.

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