Crime report for November 2, 2017 issue
By Debbie Wolfe
A sampling of police reports from October 20 through October 30 in Gulfport, South Pasadena and St. Pete Beach.
Sources: Gulfport Police Department, Media Alert and Pinellas County Crime Viewer
Two Area Teens Arrested in Drive-by Beach Shooting
Bailey JenkinsTwo 18-year-old males have been arrested for a non-deadly, drive-by shooting of a sidewalk pedestrian in St. Pete Beach and one has also been charged with shooting into a vehicle in the same city in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 28.
Bailey Roy Jenkins of Tarpon Springs and Thomas Andrew Loudin of St. Petersburg are in Pinellas County Jail, according to law enforcement records, for charges relating to the two separate incidents.
Jenkins is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and is awaiting trial on a bond of $10,000.
Loudin is also charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in addition to shooting or throwing a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle. He is awaiting trial on a bond of $20,000.
One shooting occurred at about 12:18 a.m. near the Beachcomber Resort, 6200 Gulf Boulevard.
Thomas LoudinDeputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office say the victim, Kurt Alan Lang, 51, of Dallas, Texas, “was walking northbound with his cousin on the west side of Gulf Boulevard when they heard what sounded like a firecracker. Lang grabbed his chest and said he thought he had just been shot.”
It was at this point that Lang walked to the resort and called 911 to report his injury and to provide a description of the vehicle that was in the area at the time of the shooting. He was taken to Bayfront Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries resulting from being struck with a small caliber round from a high-powered pellet gun, according to law enforcement reports.
A second shooting reportedly occurred near the Paradise Grille, 6850 Beach Plaza, at 12:01 a.m. but wasn’t reported until later at 7:30 p.m.
The victims, Christopher Dalbo, 22, of St. Petersburg, and his girlfriend Heather Shamblin, 18, of St. Pete Beach, were inside their vehicle “when they heard a distinct ‘firecracker pop’ sound” and they found that their rear window had been shot, according to law enforcement reports.
About an hour after the pedestrian shooting, a witness near the restaurant described to law enforcement a vehicle with four occupants leaving the area that was similar in appearance to the one described by Lang. The white vehicle was being driven with no headlights and the driver was partially out of the window holding what appeared to be a rifle.
In what law enforcement officials are considering a related incident, at 11:53 p.m. on Friday, October 27, Treasure Island Police received a call that someone in a white vehicle had thrown a rock through the back window of an Uber driver’s vehicle.
Both Jenkins and Loudin admitted to drinking alcohol, shooting randomly at objects and at the pedestrian, according to law enforcement records.
The investigation is continuing and additional charges may be filed by other agencies, said Corporal Dan DiFrancesco, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.
Gulfport
10-20 – Officers were dispatched to the 2600 block of 52nd Way S. in the early morning hours after a resident reported she woke up and found an unknown male in her bedroom. The burglar fled when she saw him but made off with cash, a credit card and a cell phone.
10-21 – Officers responded to a crash at the intersection of 15th Avenue S. and 55th Street S. after a car ran a stop sign and was struck by another car. The driver was cited for failure to stop at a stop sign and the other driver was transported to St. Anthony’s Hospital with minor injuries.
10-22 – The windows were smashed out of two vehicles in the Stetson College of Law student parking lot sometime between 9:30 a.m. and noon. Nothing was taken and there appeared to be dried blood on a broken window that was collected by the crime scene tech for processing.
10-22 – A resident in the 4900 block of 28th Avenue S. called from out of the country to report his neighbor advised him the window on his RV was shattered. It is unknown how the damage occurred.
10-22 – Tina McClellen was arrested for theft after she refused to pay her bar tab despite being asked by staff to do so several times. She was taken into custody in the 5400 block of Shore Boulevard.
10-23 – Officer Clague stopped a vehicle 1200 block 58th Street S. for having an inoperable license plate light and noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. An additional officer responded and confirmed the odor. They searched the vehicle and found 5.3 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The driver was referred to the Adult Pre-arrest Diversion Program.
10-23 – Officers were dispatched to a traffic crash in the 5100 block of Gulfport Boulevard S. after a driver attempting to turn into McDonald’s drove through the road construction site and was struck by a front-end loader, crushing the hood of the car. The driver was cited for careless driving. No injuries were reported and the car was able to be driven from the scene.
10-24 – Amy Newsom was arrested for retail theft after Family Dollar employees saw her concealing merchandise in her purse. She exited the store without paying but was stopped outside the door by waiting officers. She was also found to also be in possession of medication without a prescription.
10-24 – Carol Wheeler-Smith was arrested for DUI after she crashed her vehicle into a light pole in the 5600 block of Shore Boulevard. Her breath alcohol content was .239/.240.
10-25 – A resident in the 5600 block of 28th Avenue S. reported that someone entered an unlocked door and stole several times from his residence.
Burglary – residence
10/24, 6:30 p.m., 5600 Block of 28th Avenue S
Theft – grand
10/26, 12:30 p.m., 900 Block of 58th Street S
Theft – petit
10/23, 4:30 p.m., 5100 Block of Gulfport Boulevard S
10/28, 10:03 a.m., 5300 Block of 27th Avenue S
Theft –vehicle
10/24, 5 a.m., 5900 Block of Shore Boulevard
10/28, 8:16 a.m., 1200 Block of Royal Palm Drive S
Shoplifting
10/23, 1:09 p.m., 5000 Block of Gulfport Boulevard S
South Pasadena
Battery
10/25, 9:30 a.m., 7800 Block of Blind Pass Road
10/28, 1:49 a.m., 7500 Block of Blind Pass Road
10/28, 1:33 p.m., 100 Block of Lido Drive
Burglary – residence
10/26, 8 a.m., 800 Block of Oleander Way S
St. Pete Beach
Battery – aggravated
10/25, 10:16 p.m., 6200 Block of Gulf Boulevard S.
10/27, 12:10 a.m., 6200 Block of Gulf Boulevard S.
