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A new wardrobe for the bandit?By KATHRYN WEXLER and SUE CARLTON © St. Petersburg Times, published February 4, 1999 Though the Tire Iron Bandit has driven police nuts with his continual South Tampa heists, at least his clothes and unusual weapon of choice allowed them to closely map his moves. Now, to the dismay of police, the bandit possibly responsible for 17 robberies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties has shed his image. A Tampa officer sitting in a marked car at Howard and Morrison avenues last Thursday night noticed an older man wearing a denim jacket with a peculiar double collar like one worn by the Tire Iron Bandit. The man, who officers said clearly was not the villain they were looking for, told them he'd gotten the jacket out of a trash bin behind a 7-Eleven at Columbus Drive and Himes Avenue. Sure enough, in a plastic bag at the bottom of the bin were a telling black baseball cap, two shirts, and yes, a tire iron. "His clothing was his trademark. That gave us something to look for," said Tampa police Maj. K.C. Newcomb. Police have staked out South Tampa en masse since public attention was drawn to a recent spate of crime along S Howard Avenue, a k a Restaurant Row. But the Tire Iron Bandit has escaped capture. It doesn't appear he has attempted a hit since he changed his garb, Newcomb said. But whether the robber got smart to police presence or just bored of his wardrobe is open to speculation. Newcomb said he hopes the bandit takes the money he's stolen and disappears for good -- even if it means he's never caught. The important thing is to stop him before he hurts someone: "I'm hoping he bought a Greyhound bus ticket and headed north." * * *PARADE OF PROBLEMS: The Gasparilla matter has been decided, but hardly settled: Fire Chief Pete Botto is sticking by last year's decision to bump Fire Marshal Melvin Stone from the parade lineup. Stone said he is willing to comply. But amid a swirl of rumors and innuendoes, the chief intends to publicly defend his decision, Gasparilla organizers have washed their hands of the imbroglio and Stone supporters charge it's a racial issue (Stone is the highest-ranking black member of the department and the first fire marshal to be excluded from the parade.) Botto said the divisiveness sparked by Stone's special status is just too much for the department. "This isn't a personal thing," Botto said. "If I decided this on the basis of friendship, I would probably rule in favor of Melvin over the others." Said Stone: "He's the fire chief, and I will honor his request." But don't look for him behind the police barracks along Bayshore Boulevard on Saturday. "I plan to leave town, because my family's not taking it well." Meanwhile, support for Stone has swelled. Tuesday morning callers to WTMP-AM, a black-oriented radio station, charged that racism was at the root of Botto's decision. Botto and Stone are scheduled to be live on the station 7:15 a.m. today to answer questions about the issue. Botto scoffs at the racial spin. Botto, who is Hispanic, said he remembers a sign from his childhood that said, "No dogs or Spics allowed." "That left an impression on me, and it's something I don't want anyone else to endure," he said. Even Mayor Dick Greco is keeping abreast of the controversy. "To say this is racial is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life," Greco said. "The Chief picked Melvin Stone as the fire marshal." * * *AND THE WINNER (AGAIN) IS: The courthouse crowd is no doubt waiting breathlessly for results of Wednesday's chief judge election. The honor goes to F. Dennis Alvarez. Actually, the honor has been Alvarez's since 1988. He has been challenged only twice for the job of being the administrative head of Hillsborough's circuit and county judges. Unlike the public perception of the job, the chief judge can't change another judge's controversial ruling, but he does have the power to assign judges to plum posts or not-so-desirable jobs. Actually, there were four nominations from Alvarez's fellow judges for Wednesday's race. Alvarez was nominated every time. The non-race was enough to inspire one fellow judge to bring in a dark horse candidate -- a space alien in a jar. The candidate was ruled unqualified. "It was funny," Alvarez said. There is, however, a more serious effort afoot to impose a limit of two consecutive terms for chief judge, detailed in memos from Circuit Judge James Moody, who made a point of saying he thought Alvarez was doing a good job. "I just believe "fresh blood' in the Chief Judge position is best for the judiciary." The point may be moot for Alvarez, if the rumor mill is right about his running for state attorney.
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