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By Times staff reports
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 22, 2001
Police arrest couple in hit-and-run case
TAMPA -- Authorities have arrested two people in connection with a hit-and-run accident Friday night that seriously injured a 13-year-old on a motorized scooter.
Police said Bryan Murphy drove a white Ford Escort recklessly through the intersection of S Manhattan and W Leila avenues, forcing another car off the road and striking Omar Cabrera on the scooter. The impact left Cabrera with two broken legs and a head injury. He is recovering at Tampa General Hospital.
Police say Murphy, 44, of 4428 W Pintor Place did not stop.
An hour later, police said, he and his wife drove back to the scene. Nancy Murphy, 46, falsely confessed to the accident with her husband close by, police said.
Bryan Murphy was charged Tuesday with driving with a suspended license, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash with serious injury and filing a false report of an accident.
Nancy Murphy was charged with opposing or obstructing a police officer and filing a false report of an accident.
TAMPA -- Detectives are searching for a man they think has robbed four stores since Saturday. The robber said he had a gun and demanded cash from employees, Tampa police said.
Two businesses were robbed Saturday: Nicolas Donut Shop, 2104 W Busch Blvd.; and the Exxon gas station, 10002 N Florida Ave. Police think the same robber demanded cash from the cashier Monday at the Farm Store, 904 W Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and on Tuesday at the Farm Store, 5701 N Armenia Ave.
He is white, 20 to 30 years old, about 5-fee-8, with brown eyes, a clean-shaven face and short black hair with a receding hairline. He was last seen wearing a green, plaid shirt and jeans. He drove a 1980s silver car.
TAMPA -- Gov. Jeb Bush got 4 names Tuesday of lawyers he can select to fill an open seat on the Hillsborough County bench.
The Judicial Nominating Commission selected attorney J. Kevin Karey, attorney Jesse Dominguez, assistant state attorney Art McNeil and attorney Nick Nazaretian as finalists for an open seat on the county bench. The governor has 60 days to appoint one of the finalists to the court.
PLANT CITY -- A 17-year-old was killed Tuesday afternoon when his car flipped two times and landed in a ditch on Dormany Road, authorities said. John Montalvo Jr. was speeding when he lost control about 4:40 p.m. just east of Pless Road, Hillsborough sheriff's deputies said. Montalvo of 5611 Dormany Road was partly ejected and died at the scene.
ST. PETERSBURG -- A mechanic at an auto-repair garage was washing his hands when he was injured by a lightning bolt that struck the business during an intense thunderstorm Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The man, whose name was not released, complained of chest pains after the strike. He was treated at Edward White Hospital.
The incident took place about 2:15 p.m. at All-Star Automotive, a garage at 1800 28th St. N.
Fire Department officials reported that the man was in stable condition at the hospital.
ST. PETERSBURG -- The public is invited to meet the four finalists for St. Petersburg police chief from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today at the University of South Florida Campus Activities Center, 140 Seventh Ave. S. The four finalists are Patrick Stephens, a deputy chief in Cleveland; Luther Hunter, commander of the Nashville Police Department's school services division; St. Petersburg Assistant Chief Chuck Harmon; and Mack Vines, who was the city's chief from 1974 to 1980.