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© St. Petersburg Times, published September 29, 2001
Man charged with lewd and lascivious exhibition
DADE CITY -- An 18-year-old man was arrested Thursday after masturbating in front of a 12-year-old girl while she waited at her bus stop, reports stated.
James Rabner of 37408 Warren Ave. was standing next to his house when the incident occurred. The girl told deputies that Rabner unzipped his pants and began masturbating in front of her.
Rabner faces charges of lewd and lascivious exhibition.
He was taken to the Land O'Lakes jail, where he was released Friday without having to post bail.
DADE CITY -- Joshua Morgan didn't know walking down his street Wednesday night would cost $300.
Morgan, 22, of Tait Avenue told Pasco sheriff's deputies he was walking east on Tait Avenue about 11:30 p.m. when he saw two men running south toward him on Manatee Avenue.
He kept walking, and the men approached him. One pulled a revolver, pointed it at Morgan's head and demanded his wallet, a report stated.
He handed over the wallet. It had an eagle on it, was attached to a pocket chain and held his Florida ID, his Social Security card, a fishing license, a library card and $300. The robbers told Morgan to keep walking down the street, and they ran away.
Morgan described the robbers as black men 25 to 27 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, both wearing black pants and black shirts. He said the man with the gun had dreadlocks.
No arrests have been made.
SAN ANTONIO -- Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested a man they said became belligerent after a traffic accident Thursday evening.
Lewis Lindberg Bowen Jr., 49, of Jacksonville was in a traffic accident about 8 p.m. on Interstate 75 near San Antonio. Emergency workers called troopers to say that Bowen had walked away from them.
Troopers found Bowen walking south along the interstate. He tried to run into the woods when they approached, patrol reports stated. He finally agreed to sit in the back of a trooper's car, where he lit a cigarette.
Troopers then arrested Bowen and took him to Bayonet Point Hospital to check for injuries. While there, Bowen stood up and started swearing at the troopers, the report stated.
When troopers tried to make him sit down, Bowen started struggling and kicking them, they said. He then was taken to the Land O'Lakes jail.
Bowen faces charges of failure to obey a lawful command, assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest without violence and resisting arrest with violence.
He remained in custody Friday in lieu of $2,200 bail.
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has notified the FBI that a local man thinks he might have seen two of the terrorist hijackers last month on a Paradise of Port Richey gambling boat, a sheriff's spokesman said.
Stephen Babus, 46, of New Port Richey reported to deputies on Thursday that late last month he saw two Middle Eastern men betting $700 to $800 a hand on roulette aboard the Paradise ship, which docks in Port Richey.
"I'm not saying it was those guys who did this," Babus told the Times on Friday. "They just struck me as odd."
Employees on a SunCruz gambling boat that sails from John's Pass in Pinellas County have reported that they believe some of the terrorists were on their boat the week before the Sept. 11 attacks. The FBI is investigating their claims.
Paradise of Port Richey has not received any calls from the Sheriff's Office or the FBI, company spokeswoman Beth Henson said.
She said the boats get rid of their passenger manifests shortly after each trip, but video surveillance archives are available.
SHADY HILLS -- Full Gospel Assembly Church was broken into Wednesday night and about $80 is missing, church officials reported to the Sheriff's Office.
Pastor Roy Hogan said someone pried open a locked refrigerator door and took a jar with about $80 inside, according to a deputy's report. When Hogan arrived at the church, 17945 Shady Hills Road, about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the blinds were closed, he said. The blinds are always left open.
The church is always unlocked so people can come to pray, Hogan told deputies.
MOON LAKE -- A 10-year-old Moon Lake Elementary School student was arrested Wednesday after deputies say she hit a teacher and tried to grab her by the neck.
The girl punched and tried to grab teacher Liz Ashton, who was working on lunch duty, deputies said. The girl, whose name is being withheld by the Times because of her age, was charged with battery on a school official.
During lunch, the girl started yelling at Ashton, the teacher told deputies. The girl put her hand in front of Ashton's face, and as the teacher tried to move it away, the girl punched Ashton's arm. Ashton fell and bruised her leg trying to get away from the girl.
The girl told deputies she doesn't remember hitting Ashton.
HOLIDAY -- A Bayonet Point contractor who has a screen repair occupational license was arrested Thursday for falsely portraying himself as a licensed roof contractor, deputies said.
James Giovinco, 53, of A.J. Pool Resurfacing was charged with contracting without a license, deputies said. He was paid $5,636 in June to rescreen a pool enclosure and do roof and siding work at a Holiday house, deputies said. Giovinco told deputies he did the roof work as a favor, but his bill lists $500 for roof labor, deputies said.
Giovinco was released later Thursday from the county jail in Land O'Lakes after posting a $5,000 bond.