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Tampa Bay briefsBy Times staff writers
© St. Petersburg Times, Trial date set for woman accused in officer's killingTAMPA -- A judge set a Dec. 10 trial date for Paula Gutierrez, who is accused of helping her boyfriend rob a bank and kill a Tampa police officer. Circuit Judge Cynthia Holloway set the trial date to guarantee Gutierrez her right to a speedy trial. Her trial, however, will probably be postponed past December to give her lawyers more time to prepare a defense. A grand jury charged Gutierrez, 24, with first-degree murder, armed robbery and burglary for her role in the July 6 shooting of Tampa police Officer Lois Marrero. If convicted, she could face life in prison. Vandals damage school's new fine arts buildingST. PETERSBURG -- Vandals broke into the new fine arts building at the Canterbury School of Florida on Saturday and caused an estimated $15,000 in damages, St. Petersburg police said. Slogans, names and numbers were spray-painted throughout the 18,000-square-foot building at 901 58th Ave. N. "They apparently entered through an unlocked door," police spokesman George Kajtsa said Monday, adding that the department has questioned one suspect, a juvenile. No arrests have been made. "The way they did this, it's more like school kids playing a prank," Kajtsa said. "There were no hate messages, no obscene messages." The words were painted in multiple places in the building, which is nearing completion, police said. The main hallways, auditorium, stage seating area and rugs were vandalized, as were closets, doors and seven rooms that included art and music rooms. Police: Man raped child he was babysittingTAMPA -- A Tampa man is being held without bond after police said he raped a 5-year-old child he was babysitting. Manuel Sanchez, 29, of 506 S Tampania Ave., was babysitting his ex-girlfriend's children Friday while she went to work, police said. Between 6:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., police said, Sanchez raped the child. He was arrested Sunday and charged with three counts of sexual battery on a victim under 12, as well as driving without a valid driver's license. Records show Sanchez has a criminal history that includes DUI and driving without a license. Jury begins deliberations in discrimination caseTAMPA -- The jury hearing the discrimination case between Outback Steakhouse and a former employee deliberated for about 3 1/2 hours Monday before being sent home for the night. Deliberations will continue this morning. In 1997, Outback's chief executive officer Chris Sullivan hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Steve Wilson, who had just served three years in prison for DUI-manslaughter. Wilson was paid $40,000 a year. Dena Zechella, the Outback employee who trained Wilson for his new job, and who says she was ultimately replaced by him, said she was paid $24,000 to perform identical work. Zechella says she was fired in April 1998 after she complained about unequal pay and duties lost to Wilson. She then filed the lawsuit. Palm Harbor school's IB program loses leaderPALM HARBOR -- After more than three decades of teaching some of Tampa Bay's sharpest high school students, Ralph Cline compares himself to Bilbo Baggins, the main character of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Hobbit. Like the fictitious Baggins, Cline, 52, describes himself as a short, stout figure who led a fulfilling but relatively uneventful life until he got the opportunity to go on a great adventure. Cline, who has been assistant principal in charge of Palm Harbor University High School's International Baccalaureate program since 1996, is joining the International Baccalaureate Organization in Manhattan as its new associate director of professional development and teacher training. In his new job, Cline will work with teachers in IB programs all over North America.
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