Electrical Fan Causes Mattress Fire: Firefighter Chad Craig of St. Petersburg Station 9 puts out the last traces of a fire in a mattress and box springs that was relocated to the exterior sidewalk from inside a wood frame, single story house at 2901 56th St. S., Gulfport on Friday, June 24. The call came in at 6:23 p.m. with nine fire units responding from South Pasadena, St. Petersburg and Gulfport. Hobert Cecil, the owner, was inside at the time and was uninjured, said St. Petersburg Station 5 District Chief Brett G. Ciskoski at the scene. “It took less than 10 minutes to get it under control,” he said. The accident started when an electrical fan, located on a sleeping mattress, overheated then caught fire causing about $1,000 in damage, said Gulfport Fire Chief James Marenkovic.
A sampling of police reports from June 21 to June 29 in Gulfport, South Pasadena, and St. Pete Beach.
Sources: Pinellas County Crime Viewer, the Gulfport City Manager’s report and Pinellas County jail records.
Traffic Stops Yield Drug Arrests
On June 21, a Gulfport police officer observed a car failing to stop at a stop sign on Shore Boulevard. He initiated a traffic stop and smelled a strong odor of marijuana. A search of the vehicle uncovered over 350 grams of marijuana (20 grams is the felony threshold) and 14 Xanax pills. The driver, David Lewis Mannuzza of Gulfport, was arrested. His car and more than $1,000 in cash was seized. He is charged with three felony counts of possession of marijuana with intent to sell, sale of marijuana and possession of Alprazolam. He was released from the county jail on June 22 on a $12,000 bond.
On June 23, a Gulfport police officer stopped a car for a tag violation in the 4900 block of Newton Ave. S. Passenger John Lloyd Johnston of St. Petersburg revealed that he had an outstanding warrant for possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and charged with sale or delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance, both felonies. He was released from the county jail on June 23 on a $5,000 bond.
Gulfport
Battery
6/26, 2:20 p.m. – 5200 block of 18th Ave. S
Burglary – vehicle
6/22, 4 p.m. – 5500 block of Shore Blvd. S
6/23, 2:30 a.m. – 2000 block of 59th St. S
6/23, 2 p.m. – 1300 block of Gray St. S
6/23, 7:30 p.m. – 5800 block of 20th Ave. S
6/23, 8 p.m. – 1100 block of Gray St. S
6/23, 8 p.m. – 1200 block of Gray St. S
6/23, 8 p.m. – 1200 block of 59th St. S
6/24, noon – 1300 block of Pasadena Ave. S.
6/24, 6 p.m. – 1300 block of Pasadena Ave. S.
Missing person
6/22, 5 p.m. — 5600 block of 18th Ave. S
Stolen vehicle
6/23, 11 p.m. – 4900 block of 14th Ave. S.
Theft – shoplifting
6/25, 1:27 p.m. – 4900 block of 17th Ave. S.
Vandalism – criminal mischief
6/24, 8 a.m. – 5000 block of 8th Ave. S.
South Pasadena
Theft – grand
6/23, noon – 7000 block of Sunset Dr. S.
Theft – petty
6/23, 8:51 p.m. – 8000 block of Sailboat Key Blvd.
Vandalism – criminal mischief
6/25, 1:17 p.m. – 6900 block of Place De La Paix
St. Pete Beach
Battery
6/24, 2:56 a.m. – 900 block of Boca Ciega Isle Dr.
Battery – aggravated
6/27, 1:25 a.m. –100 block of 11th Ave.
Stolen vehicle
6/25, 7:20 a.m. – 600 block of 64th Ave.
Theft – grand
6/24, 3 p.m. – 7100 block of Sunset Way
6/25, 7:02 p.m. – 5500 block of Gulf Blvd.
Theft – petty
6/22, 4 p.m. – 6300 block of Gulf Blvd.
Theft – shoplifting
6/25, 8:56 p.m. – 2000 block of Pass A Grille Way
Vandalism – criminal mischief
6/23, 8:56 p.m. – 3800 block of Gulf Blvd.
