A sampling of police reports from January 10 through January 18 in Gulfport, South Pasadena and St. Pete Beach and St. Petersburg.
Source: Gulfport Police Department, Pinellas County Crime Viewer and the St. Petersburg Police Department.
34th Street Shooting Leaves Two Dead
On Monday, January 21, at 9:41 p.m. St. Petersburg police responded to a report of shots fired on 34th Street at 18th Avenue South.
According to police reports, when officers arrived there was a crowd of about 100 people gathered in the parking lot on the corner.
There, police discovered three adult men had been shot. Two were later pronounced deceased at the
hospital: Roger Lee Ford, Jr., 42, and Tywan Jeremiah Armstrong, 39. The third victim, Carlos Demetrius Young, 48, is reported to be in stable condition.
The intersection at 34th Street and 18th Avenue South remained closed for several hours due to the investigation.
As of Wednesday, January 23, the shooter is still at large. St. Petersburg Police are asking that anyone with information please call 893-7780 or text SPPD +your tip to TIP411.
Pedestrian Dies After Being Hit on 34th Street North
On January 18 at 11:20 p.m., a pedestrian was struck and killed by a 2006 Toyota Corolla operating as a taxi cab, according to a St. Petersburg Police media report.
The driver of the Toyota, John Windisch, 59, was traveling southbound on 34th Street near 14th Avenue North when the front end of his vehicle struck the pedestrian, a male, 49, throwing him to the roadway.
According to police reports, the pedestrian was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg where he was later pronounced dead. Police have not yet released the name of the victim as they are still trying to locate his next of kin.
Gulfport
1/10 – Theft in the 4900 block of Newton Avenue South. A city employee reported that the water service had been cut off to a residence due to non-payment. One of the residents then used a garden hose to straight pipe the water meter and steal water. The incident was caught on a surveillance camera in the area.
1/10 – Disturbance in the 1700 block of 49th Street South. Officers were called to a business regarding a person being disorderly. When officers arrived, they spoke to a person who was upset that the store manager accused his girlfriend of stealing items. This led to an argument between the caller and the store manager’s boyfriend who happened to be in the store. The caller wanted to press charges for assault, however, there was no evidence to support the allegation.
1/11 – Suspicious person at Wells Fargo Bank. A person reported that a man in a trench coat was walking towards the bank and appeared to be wearing a bulletproof vest with ammunition strapped to it. Officers located two men in the parking lot that matched the description provided. One man was wearing a tactical ammunition vest under his trench coat but there was no armor or ammunition in the vest. The men told the officers that their outfits were “street wear,” and that they did not intend to cause a disturbance. An alert was sent out to other agencies regarding their behavior.
1/11 – Contributing to delinquency of a minor in the 6300 block of 10th Avenue South.
A resident reported that he had photos and text messages indicating that an adult was providing his juvenile nephew with drugs.
1/12 – Assist other agency (HOME Task Force) in the 1800 block of 55th Street South.
Gulfport officers were asked to go by an address in Gulfport to pick up a juvenile named Vinyai Rice who was tampering with his ankle monitor. Rice is on home detention as a repeat offender. Rice eventually removed the monitor near the 5800 block of Freemont Street South. Airborne and K-9 units assisted with the search. Despite K-9 tracking him for several miles, Rice was able to evade capture. He was later seen in a vehicle that was reported stolen from the 1500 block of 52nd Street South. The car was recovered several days later in north St. Petersburg and Rice was arrested.
1/12 – Stolen vehicle in the 1500 block of 52nd Street South. Between the hours of 5 a.m. and noon, a black Honda was stolen from a residence. A valet key was possibly in the glove the box but the owner is unsure. The vehicle was recovered on Wednesday, January 16.
1/12 – Contact in the 1800 block of 55th Street South. An officer came across a vehicle blocking the alley way while checking the area for a stolen vehicle. The owner of the vehicle was located who admitted to drinking and that the beers in his car were his. The owner was on probation and one stipulation is no alcohol. Thomas Bingham was arrested for violation of probation.
1/14 – Intoxicated person in the 6000 block of Shore Boulevard. A resident reported an altercation in the building’s elevator with an intoxicated man who was holding a deceased cat. The man was extremely intoxicated and was taken to the hospital. It was determined by documentation found in the man’s backpack that the he had euthanized his cat earlier in the day.
1/14 – Fraud in the 5100 block of 16th Avenue South. A resident reported being contacted by a person claiming to be a federal agent. The person threatened the resident with arrest if he did not pay $4,000 in fines. He paid the money and later determined this be a fraud.
1/15 – Battery in the 5200 block of 18th Avenue South. An argument that started at a residence over money owed for a cellular phone escalated into a physical altercation. The physical altercation resulted in physical injuries to all parties involved. One of the subjects was transported to Bayfront Medical Center.
1/15 – Recovered stolen vehicle in the 5600 block of 11th Avenue South. A vehicle that was left abandoned in the middle of the road was identified as being stolen out of St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg Police Department was notified of the recovery. The owner made arrangements to have the vehicle removed from the scene and declined to allow the vehicle to be processed for evidence.
1/16 – Assist Fire/Rescue in the 4900 block of 8th Avenue South. Officers secured the area as fire/rescue tended to a downed wire at this location that was the result of a truck attempting to pass through this location.
1/16 – Recovered stolen vehicle in the 7000 block of 30th Avenue North in St. Petersburg. A vehicle stolen from a residence in Gulfport on Saturday, January 13 was recovered in St Petersburg.
Battery
1/14, 5:40 a.m., 5200 Block of 18th Avenue S
1/15, 8:18 a.m., 2000 Block of 52nd Street S
1/17, 8 a.m., 20th Avenue S & 49th Street S
Battery – aggravated
1/16, 11:19 a.m., 900 Block of 58th Street S
Burglary – vehicle
1/18, 4 p.m., 900 Block of Gray Street S
Theft – recreational vehicle
1/14, 1:50 p.m., 11th Avenue S & 56th Street S
South Pasadena
Theft – grand
1/14, 7 a.m., 1200 Block of Pasadena Avenue S
Theft – petty
1/14, noon, 1400 Block of Pasadena Avenue S
Vandalism – criminal mischief
1/15, 1:02 a.m., 1800 Block of Shore Drive S
1/15, 11 p.m., 1800 Block of Shore Drive S
St. Pete Beach
Burglary – business
1/14, noon, 5500 Block of Gulf Boulevard
Theft – grand
1/13, 1:20 p.m., 400 Block of 89th Avenue
1/14, 8:50 p.m., 6800 Block of Gulf Boulevard
1/14, midnight, 400 Block of Corey Avenue
1/16, 6:15 a.m., 7100 Block of Coquina Way
Theft – petty
1/14, 11:21 p.m., 9500 Block of Blind Pass Road
Theft – vehicle
1/18, 1 p.m., 9500 Block of Blind Pass Road
Trespassing
1/18, 8:11 a.m., 7800 Block of Blind Pass Road
1/18, 9:09 p.m., 7800 Block of Blind Pass Road
