Which way to Vegas?

Some of the residents of The Legends community in Middletown NJ may very well be asking that question now. The Middletown police arrested three people after a stakeout and raid recently at a home on Little Circle.

The police surveillance operation began there after they had received several complaints about various parking violations in the area of the home. What they discovered was that the parking situation was the tip of the iceberg. The home was hosting illegal poker games and sports betting.

This evidently wasn't the ordinary beer and chips friendly weekly game either. Police state that on occasion, there were barmaids serving booze and topless dealers at these games. They added that they seized gaming tables, computers, a list of players and a credit card machine.

William "Shane" Anderson, his wife Laurie and Matthew Balotin were all charged with advanced gambling, conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child. It seems though that their "patrons" will have to manage to get there thrills in another town and hope that they can get that friendly, down-home service from topless dealers elsewhere.

O J should be proud......

On Tuesday, Stephen Ray Castor, 53, made his first appearance in Vancouver WA and he is set to appear again, this Friday. The question looming before the court though, is what constitutes a motor vehicle?

"I thought, 'This did not just happen!' " stated Jason Taylor.

Casotr of 818 W 24th St, began the day's events by allegedly cursing out Jason Taylor and the proceeded to drive through his fence and smashed a window of his house with a lawn chair. He then rode across West Fourth Plain Boulevard and then kept going south on Harney St.

This led to the kind of police chase that would make O J Simpson look like a speed demon. At 5 pm that evening, Castor led the police on a 3 mph chase while he tried to escape on his riding lawnmower. On Harney St, Officer Hibbard stopped his police car, jumped out and ordered Castor to stop. Castor though contined on towards the officer who managed to sdiestep the mower at the last moment and several other officers managed to grab Castor and pull him off the mower.

Castor is now being held on a $40,000 bail and may be charged with third degree assault and criminal mischief. They are also investigating if he will be charged with DUI, though this depends on whether Washington state law, RCW 46, would cover operating a lawnmower while under the influence... as driving drunk.

That certainly would be something of a "rep" to brag about in jail... dragged from his mower by several officers while "driving drunk." For his first court appearance, Castor again was at the wheel. This time though, he was in a wheelchair.

A parent's example.....

"I'm not totally happy with the outcome. It was a bit of a slap on the wrist," stated Stephen Wines.

Anthony and Donna Alvino paid their $4,600 in fines and court costs Monday after they pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges. They were spared jail time under an agreement with the Cattaraugus County District Attorney's Office and the felony charges against them were dropped.

The Alvino's son was sentenced to 36 months in jail in January for striking Wines daughter, 19 in Storrs CT and then driving off. She died two days later. The Alvinos admitted that three days after the Jan 2007 accident, they drove from their Lindenhurst home to St Bonaventure University to retrieve the SUV driven by their son. They each pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution and attempting to tamper with evidence.

The "bit of a wrist slap" includes the fact that they didn't have to admit to allegations that they encouraged their son and his passengers to cover up the accident or that they had considered having the SUV repaired to cover up the damage to it. Raymond Perini, the Alvinos attorney, stated that the punishment was appropriate. He added that there were two days of indecision but that they sat down, got counsel and then did everything right.

I find that difficult to believe, since it was weeks after the accident when they finally made the state police in Connecticut aware that they had possession of the vehicle involved and still later before they turned over their son. It was more than an allegation that they encouraged their son and his friends to be quiet..... four young people shut their mouths for weeks as to what had happened that night.

This was not a pair of parents who agonized for a couple of days as to how best to helptheir son, these are two parents who went to great length to try and help their son to evade responsibility and dragged his witnessing friends into that plan. The Wines family has lost a child forever and their son received a fairly light sentence... now his parents skip going to jail and collect $200 it seems. The only one left with charges pending is their son's former girlfriend, Michelle Hall. Sadly, in light of the sentences given out already, I think she also will get not too severe a slap on the wrist as well.

For an earlier post, go here.

Rock, paper, scissors?

For the second time in several months, the Subway restaurant on Boulevard in West Hartford CT was robbed. The suspect was described as a tall, thin male in his early 20's.

He robbed the restaurant on December 30 2007 in the evening and the employee gave him the money after they were threatened with a weapon. This latest robbery involved a similar threat and weapon. It seems that this young man only implied that he had a gun....... he did use a visable rock though. The employee in Dec was threatened with a rock as well.

No mention was made as to how large this rock was and whether it had really sharp or dangerous edges to it. It does possibly mean that this young man hasn't managed to save enough money for even a fake gun.

I do wonder though....... if they were different rocks used in both robberies and he tossed them aside after running from the store....... how exactly will the police find and determine which rock was the weapon used?

Ridiculous revisited

"It's a ridiculous number. I had to come up with a number that was significant enough that might force them to pay attention to me," stated Raelyn Campbell.

Raelyn Campbell, 37, filed her lawsuit Nov 16 2007 in Washington Superior Court against Best Buy Co. Campbell, a Washington D C resident claims that the Richfield-based company failed to immediately notify her of the posibility of identity theft and she also wants to ensure customer privacy protection in the future. She claims that Best Buy lost her laptop computer while it was in for repairs and then tried to cover up the disappearance.

What makes up the majority of the ridiculous number she is sueing for is based on what she claims are the cost of her computer, expenses for identity theft protection and punitive damages. A Best Buy spokesman stated that the company had already given Campbell $1,110.35 for the cost of the laptop and warrenty along with a $500 gift card.

Campbell acknowledges that sometime in October, the $1,110.35 credit appeared on her credit card and she didn't know why it had but kept it to pay her expenses. She added that she tried to return the giftcard and when that failed, she donated it.

This all began when Campbell brought her one year old laptop in to have a power switch worked on. The $1,000 14-inch computer was about a year old and she claims that it was "stolen" while in their care sometime after May 25 but she wasn't informed of that until Aug 9 2007. She posted in her blog that Best Buy had upped it's offer to $2,500 with nondisclosure and non-liability provisions. It would seem that Best Buy, even though they lost her computer, had tried to offer a reasonable amount of money to cover her expenses.

Evidently, Campbell has taken a few notes from Roy Pearson in D C, since she is now sueing for $54 million. It's those darn punitive damages in Washington that just seem to add up so quickly. Maybe she could look into hiring Pearson for her lawsuit, since his lawsuit has failed miserably and he doesn't have a job or his $54 million pants from the dry cleaners yet.


For related posts, go here and here.

Houston, the "Fins" have landed......

"They were very happy, I think they want to have another flight," stated Professor Reinhard Hilbig.

On Thursday, it wasn't the "Fins" that took to flight but a small group of Germans from a launch pad in northern Sweden. German researchers sent them on a ten minute rocket ride to study the effects of weightlessness on the group of seventy-two during that short flight.

Hilbig stated that the German team hoped the experiment could explain why some people experience motion sickness and others do not in similar situations. To find that answer, the thumbnail-sized cichlids were chosen for the space flight. He added that the mechanisms for motion sickness are similar in fish and humans.

The cichlids were filmed as they swam around weightless in small aquariums during the unmanned space flight. The researchers will now study that film to find if any of the fish swam around in circles during the flight, since that is what they do when they experience motion sickness.

The fish all landed safely and appear to be in good health. Cichlids were chosen since they believed that they would have the best chance to survive the stress of the space flight. Goldfish it was explained, are a bit too messy and fat to have been good candidates for the short mission in space.

I am not sure though.... would the messy part come from their collision with the sides of the tanks from G-forces and has it been proven that they circle from the motion sickness or from their search for a fish sized barf bag?

Whew, Mickey!

On Wednesday, U S District Judge Gregory A Presnell dismissed a suit that had been filed against Walt Disney World in 2007. That lawsuit was aimed at forcing the company to allow disabled guests to use two-wheeled Segways in it's theme parks.

"We asked for dismissal and the court agreed it was appropriate. We provide a variey of accomodations to guests with disabilities, which allow them to fully enjoy our theme parks," stated Disney World Acting Vice President Jacquee Polak.

Judge Presnell dismissed the suit from the U S District Court for the Middle District of Florida after he agreed with Walt Disney World's contention that none of the three who had brought the suit had shown any intention of visiting the parks in the near future. The two men from Illinois and a woman from Iowa had contended that Walt Disney World violated the had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by forbidding the use of Segways within the park.

The three had been seeking to gain a class-action status with their suit which could have potentially opened the suit up to thousands of Segway users nationwide. Disney on the other hand, had claimed that they offer adequate accomodations for the disabled and they had no way of determining if users of the Segways had been trained properly in their use in large crowds. They had stated that they had serious concerns as to the safety of their other guests in the park from Segways being used in the often large crowds.

While this may settle the immediate concerns raised by the lawsuit that had been filed, I am sure that it may be revisited in the future if the use of Segways by disabled persons were to increase. Disney has valid concerns and they as well as SeaWorld Orlando will continue to ban the use of them in their parks for now.


For an earlier post, go here.

It wasn't worth the money

In June of 2007, Charles Chambers, 33, was arrested on drug charges and had $2,000 seized from him by the police. He recently decided to return to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office in Anderson SC to see if they would return the money to him.

Chambers evidently felt that demanding the return of his money would work but the deputies felt differently then. They told him to leave the office on Tuesday and while he left, an officer noticed that the car he got into, matched the description of a stolen car. That car had been stolen only three hours earlier and when another officer pulled him over and stop the car, he noticed that Chambers had to use a screwdriver to shut off the engine.

It seems that the ignition key switch had been removed and Chambers was using the "universal" key to drive it. To add to his predicament of driving a stolen car......He was charged with driving under suspension, a tag violation and possession of a stolen vehicle.

It would seem that Chambers will need more than his seized $2,000 now to help pay for his stupidity.

Move it, or it's towed

"I pulled one blanket and that's when I saw my daughter's leg. I saw her leg and her toes," stated Tracy Ponce.

Relatives of Eileen Orta, 22, of Pomona CA had reported her missing several days before and the police had a missing person's report, complete with a description of her vehicle. On Friday, they were called to come remove her minivan from a parking space where it was illegally parked.

That minivan had been discovered parked in a spot reserved for a police official at the Pomona Superior Court and her reletives were informed that if they didn't come down and remove the van, it would be towed and impounded. Tracy Ponce stated that she moved one of the blankets that were piled in the van and that was when she saw her daughter's leg. In fact, her daughter was dead and hidden under the blankets.

The police stated that there was no way that they could have known that her body was in there according to Pomona Police Chief Joe Romeo. He added that they didn't have the authority search the vehicle or break windows to get into it.

Ponce though stated that the windows were rolled down in the minivan when they arrived at it and although the police may have had no authority to search an abandoned vehicle, they had a missing person's report that included that vehicle. She questioned why it wasn't searched because it should have been found that it belonged to a missing person. She added that she would like to know if her daughter may have been found alive if it had been searched when it was found.

Orta was pronouced dead at the scene and an autopsy revealed that she died from a stab wound to the neck. Police admit that in hindsight, they could have gone over the van better than was done.

Eileen Orta may have already been dead when her van was found but to think that her family was the one to find her after being told to come get her van..........that sounds like a bit more than just an oversight.

A little out there

A 35 year-old Fontana CA man was a robbery victim at around 9:15 pm Sunday night. He did escape with his wallet and money but lost what may have been dinner for the evening.

The man had just purchased $20 worth of tacos from a stand at the corner of San Bernadino and Fontana avenues and was riding his bicycle home with them when the robber sneaked up on him. Fontana police Sgt Jeff Decker stated that the robber approached the man saying 'Give me your tacos', grabbed the bag of them, punched the man in the face and began to run away.

The victim, who was on Hawthorne Ave, east of Catawba Ave when it occured, demanded his bag of tacos back from the robber. The suspect then pointed what appeared to be a black handgun at the victim. Only about five feet seperated the victim and the suspect when he threatened to kill him and took off running with the tacos.

The suspect is described as 25-30 years old, white, 5 feet- ten inches tall and 190 pounds. He has brown hair and eyes and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt at the time of the robbery. Decker stated that it is more common to have a pizza delivery person to be robbed of food and/or money. An armed robbery for tacos and nothing else is a little out there in the crime world.

One has to wonder though......... if they do catch the suspect, will he be able to enjoy tacos in jail while he is enjoying the room and board there in the near future?

That guy Bob.....

They held a Valentine's Day recommitment service in Grove City OH at the Grove City Methodist Church. Sheila Smith had thought that she would serve only as the matron of honor for four of her friend's there.

It seems that even though she had wanted to participate, her husband Bob had to go away on business and that left only one half of the couple. With the help of her friend's though, Sheila was able to be one of the 19 couple's who recommited their relationships.

Her friends surprized her by bringing Blow-up Bob, a life-size inflatable doll. They dressed in a shirt, tie and dress pants and added the "sweet" touch of taping a headshot of the real Bob Smith to the doll's head. Sheila had to call her husband to tell him about his air-filled alter ego and between wiping tears, told her friends that Bob was laughing so hard at their effort that he was speechless.

Sometimes friends have a way it seems, of finding the one thing that will mean so much to someone they care about................ even if it isn't the most serious of gifts.

Axe me how......

"I had to bang the glass four times with the ax before the it broke," stated Geraldine Palmer.

Geraldine "Gerry" Palmer, 90, of Durango CO, accidently got herself locked outside her own home recently. She had gone outside to rearrange some things that had gotten wet on her patio and the sliding glass door locked behind her. It would seem that the easy thing to do would be walk to the front of the house or a neighbor, but the snow had formed a 7 foot high pile and blocked her from getting to her yard.

Using what must be "old fashioned" common sense, instead of panicking, Palmer did what she could. She picked up an old axe she had once used to chop wood and broke into her own home. Palmer didn't give up after the first swing either..... as she stated, she had to hit the door four times before she broke the glass and could reach in to unlock the door.

In these days of what seems to be the attitude of calling for help with a cellphone, Gerry Palmer quietly saved herself with determination and using her brains.

Peek-a-boo..... what the .....?

"I was in bed laying with my girl (and) I heard something rumbling underneath my bed. I thought it was my dog." stated Jeremy Lynn.

Jeremy stated that he did the next logical thing in his Greensboro NC home, he looked under the bed. He expected to see his dog looking back at him but instead, he saw eyes staring back at him that he didn't recognise. He added that he realized it was another man hiding under there and he proceeded to drag him out, sling him around, uppercut him and beat him.

Eventually the police were called and they arrested Donei Zabedra-Ilario, 20 and probably prevented him from receiving a more severe beating. Lynn stated that when he pulled Donei out from under his bed, his pants were undone the "whole nine yards."

Zabedra-Ilario told the police that this was the first time he had broken into a home, in hopes of seeing a woman naked but it wasn't the first time he had peeped. He has confessed to peeping into eight other homes in Greensboro and he is considered a suspect in a string of cases involving homes along Merritt Dr, Creek Ridge Rd and West Florida St. He is also suspected of spying on women in a Wal-Mart bathroom on Wendover Ave.

Jeremy Lynn ended his short career in the apartment along Pineland St, which according to police, was a good thing, since Donei had stated that he had planned on hiding there through the whole night. The police are in the process of notifying the other victims and they expect that more charges will be made against Donei.

One has to wonder though, with all the porn that is readily available......... what would make someone think that hiding in an apartment for a peek, was a bright thing? For a few dollars, he could have had one lap dance for him probably.

Fun on four wheels

It seems that the fun that can be found while driving hasn't lessened any among drivers. Winter brings a whole new opportunity to explore what can be done with a vehicle.

On Monday, Feb 4 2008, drivers in Manchester took to off-road fun in the late hours. They began by driving through a four-foot embankment of snow and proceeeded out onto the public ice rink. It had to look pretty cool and feel awesome to be out there with a vehicle sliding around and doing donuts for everyone else to watch.

Unfortunately, the still unknown participants did so much damage to the very popular ice rink, that it has had to be closed for the season. Officials are hoping to have the financing in place to be able to repair it and have it ready for the public to enjoy ice skating on in 2009.

Lindsey Ann Robbins, 24, of Bristol found another way to enjoy a motor vehicle on Feb 7. She evidently really needed to take a late night drive and didn't want to let a small problem with what could be considered a non-essential piece of equipment stop her. It may also have been a touch of alcohol that led her to not notice the she was dragging a very noisey and sparking bumper behind her car.

East Hartford police managed to track her down and pull her over, possibly by following the brightly lit trail she was leaving down the roads. Robbins also failed the field sobriety test and was arrested.

It does seem that American's love of cars still is going strong, whether it be on the roads legally, or creatively.

Look Boris.... not just flying squirrel

"They can fly and they can land. Just not very well," stated Howard Peterson.

Howard Peterson, the swing-shift Alaska State Trooper based in Girdwood was driving on the Seward Highway Feb 2 2008 when something big and black came falling from the sky. It landed about 20 feet from his car that night and he stated that all he could think of, was that it was a falling rock. He braced himself to steer clear of it if it bounced his way on the road.

When the rock didn't shatter or bounce though, his mind could only come up with one crazy image........ falling moose? The moose landed on the road only a few feet from his car and he estimates that it fell about 150 feet off the roadside cliff. Then he stated, he began to wonder...... had the moose jumped?

"How would you say it -- moose-icide? He probably thought he was the only moose, with all those sheep around," stated Peterson.

Most likely though is that something spooked the moose and it just misstepped. Wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott stated that moose don't usually jump but he does feel that it may have just slipped of stepped too close to the edge and the snow gave way under it. Sinnott has seen many and heard many ways that moose have found to die from falling through ice and off small banks, jumping off railroad bridges at the sound of a train and even has seen two bull moose who died while rutting because their antlers became hooked together with a strand of barbed wire. He doesn't believe that they jump off 150 foot high cliffs.

Peterson though thinks they may have to add a new sign to that stretch of highway.... "Caution - falling moose." The moose didn't die in vain though, Peterson snapped a few pictures of it and then contacted a group that salvages road kill so that it was donated to charity.

Evidently, Rocky has lost his partner Bullwinkle, all because he chose to not pull a rabbit out of a hat, but instead..... wanted to see what it was like to fly.

Lawn ranger: the finale

"She ends up with a sentence that is very minimal and shouldn't intrude terribly on her day-to-day life. For the most part, it accomplishes what we set out to accomplish from the very beginning," stated prosecutor Andrew Peterson.

This past Friday, Betty Perry, 70, of Orem Utah, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and agreed to pay a $100 fine in order to resolve her pending case. She was set to trial on Monday on a more serious charge of resisting arrest but now faces sentencing that could be up to six months probation.

This all stemmed from her neglecting to water her yard last year. Prosecutor Peterson stated that they had been planning to drop the lawn neglect charge because she had begun to water her lawn as the town of Orem had demanded under their ordinances. He added that it was very important for the city to get a conviction for Perry's "dangerous and violent" actions when officer Jim Flygare had gone to arrest her last year.

She had refused to give her name to Flygare, accept the citation or allow herself to be handcuffed on her front steps. During the struggle to arrest her, Perry injured her nose, had rolled onto her stomach and put her hands under herself to avoid being handcuffed.

I still wonder.......... if this is the length that Orem Utah will go to arrest such a violent criminal, what exactly will they do if they are confronted with a criminal most anyone else would consider dangerous... such as an armed robbery suspect. Would they lockdown the town roads and call in the National Guard?


For my earlier post, go here.

Land of liberty?

"We're going to be swabbing people we arrest," stated Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood.

The police in Daytona Beach FL believe they have a serial killer in their midst. In the past couple of years, four women have been murdered in similar circumstances. While their diligence in trying to solve the cases is more than appreciated by the general public, their newest plan to assist their search has come under fire.

In hopes of finding a suspect, the police in Daytona Beach and several other surrounding agencies will soon be asking men who have been arrested, for a DNA sample. They will be asking men who have been arrested for violent crimes, drunk driving and what few people realize...... any crime they can imagine. That woulsd include any arrest that allows the police to put handcuffs on a suspect from violent crimes to indecient exposure, trespassing, jay walking or littering.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood has stated that he is anxious to establish a strong DNA database within their department to help in solving crimes. This plan could aid in solving the four murders as well as future crimes and he feels asking suspects for a swab will rapidly expand their database.

Public Defender James Purdy has stated that regardless of whether arrested suspects give their permission for a DNA swab, the plan is outrageous. He feels that the stress brought on by an arrest can cloud a person's ability to distinguish between a requirement by law and a request by an officer.

Purdy stated that the perception by most people is that if they don't voluntarily give DNA or anything else an officer requests, they could be percieved as guilty. He added that the Legislature states that DNA can only only be collected for certain violent crimes.

"Your right to privacy is more important than the government's need to know," stated James Purdy.

It may sound like a good plan or even a needed plan in view of the unsolved murders of four women but where exactly will the Daytona Beach police draw the line? Some question how many arrests for minor offenses will be made in an effort to expand their database. Will this new plan allow and encourage the police to come knocking on the doors of "suspects" that their neighbors have called in tips about or will there be a sudden surge in jay walking tickets?

I have always believed that the U S was founded on basic freedoms and liberties....... this plan sounds like another dark extension of what used to be the methods of other countries. Many of these new restrictions being applied to us as citizens are being spoon-fed to us under the guise of "homeland security", such as a national driver's license, a need for a passport........ what next? Will we need special papers to travel between states? I agree with James Purdy.... we can't let a rush to solve criminal cases trample our liberites.


Of note, additional resource: "Arrested? Guilty or not, police want your DNA" by Lyda Longa @ news-journalonline

Time for a new outfit?

"It's unsettling, and either he's going to get hit by a car or he's going to cause somebody to have an accident," stated Sheriff Mark Dion.

The Cumbrland County Sheriff's Department in Standish ME initially thought that it was a college prnak but the incidents have continued and may be escalating as well. On Sunday, a woman reported to the police that a man passed her while driving and cut her off before jumping out into the road. The woman got a good look at the man and provided police with enough information for a composite sketch.

He is described as being white, 5 feet 11 inches tall, is in his late 20's or early 30's, has a thin build, brown hair and a mustache. The police are also positive that it is a man who has been involved in all the described incidents of late. The first report came in April on Warren Rd in Standish and the latest one occured on River Rd in Standish. The police have a total of six similar reports of the man and are hoping that someone may recognise him from the composite picture, since they have all happened in a rather small area.

In all the reports, the man has pulled in front of female driver who are alone and he has jumped out in front of them. Many of the women have had to swerve to avoid the man and police fear that if it escalates, someone may be injured in an accident in the future. They are describing the man as a "person of interest" right now and state that he had been driving a black sedan and more recently, a red pickup truck, possibly a Toyota.

The man isn't your garden variety "thrill seeker" though. He apparently enjoys wearing black thigh-high stockings, a garter belt and camisole as well as black high heel boots. His choice of clothing isn't the issue in criminal terms, rather, it is his apparent need to leap out in front of women drivers that causes concern.

It may be that he has a need to try and scare the women or maybe he just feels the need for another woman's opinion of his outfit before going out on that next big date. Myself, I would suggest losing the mustache........ it may take away from whatever effect he is trying so hard to achieve.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at 774 1444 ext 2112

One stop shopping

On Thursday, January 17, John Tacinelli proved that trying to offer his customers "peace of mind" and save them the hassle of running around, wasn't the best of ideas. The 56 year-old Plainville resident and insurance agent had been combining two forms of "peace of mind" it seems.

Tacinelli was arrested after investigators found several bags of marijuana in his car. They soon discovered that not only was he selling the pot out of his home, but he had been selling it out of his insurance office as well. He has been charged with intent to sell, possession and various other charges.

I guess that I was buying my insurance from the wrong office all these years......... I could have been relaxing with the peace of mind that i was covered for any kind of accident and covered for the next time i wanted to just "chill."

To grandmother's house we go.....

The Broward County Sheriff's Office conducted a raid recently in Oakland FL. They searched the home of Henrietta Corvin Daise, 62, and ended up arresting nine people.

The drug raid netted that officers, marijuana, $1,000 in cash, four grams of cocaine powder and and twenty crack cocaine rocks. They also discovered powder cocaine where they probably hadn't expected to......... stuffed down Henrietta's bra.

Daise evidently had the home that her grandchildren enjoyed hanging out at, since of the eight others arrested on Friday at or near her home, were her grandchildren. They face various charges including probation violations, marijuana possession and possessing and intent to sell cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church.

Henrietta herself is said to have posted a $7,500 bail on Saturday. I'm wondering though, was she planning to be home in time for entertaining the grandkids again this weekend?

...............120 mph

While the investigation continues into the recent tragic crash in Ocala FL, the Florida Highway Patrol has released the first of it's reports on it. They stated that they are still interviewing dozens of people who may potentially have information in regards to the incident and added that the Dision of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco has been asked to aid in the investigation.

FHP spokesman Lt Mike Burroughs stated that the BMW that Joshua Ammirato, 18, was driving was traveling at a minimum of 120 mph when the driver hit the brakes. He braked for 2 to 3 seconds and the car veered sideways. The BMW rotated clockwise as it left the end of the paved runway, overturned and went airborne. It then sailed over an 85 foot dip towards trees that were 200 feet away.

The car first struck a wire fence and a tree the investigators reported. The right side of the BMW then struck a second tree, shearing the car in two and the rear section struck a third tree. The reports states that all four passengers and the driver were ejected and the vehicle's pieces and the victims came to rest in a vacant lot in the 1400 block of Northeast 95th Street.

The FHP is still awaiting the results of a toxicology report and while they had originally stated that only the driver would be tested for alcohol, they added now that they may test all four passengers. The report does state that they have found no evidence that there was another car on the runway at the time and they have ruled out racing as a factor.

Just as in the Bailey Goodman accident in 2007, this report states that both young men in the front seats had been wearing seatbelts but the three passengers in the rear had not. Burroughs did decline to comment on the rumor that there is a pre-crash videotape of the car on the runway.

James Hime, 54, of Orlando FL and the father of James Hime stated that the specifics of the crash don't concern him anymore. His only concern now is that the crash may convince other young drivers to slow down. Hime is represented by two Orlando lawyers who specialize in wrongful death cases and Hime added that he doesn't blame the driver, Joshua, he does blame the parent.

It will be weeks or months before all that can be investigated, has been completed but in the meantime, the loss of these five young men will be felt within the community. It would be nice if James Hime wish were to come true...... even if it saves one young driver, someone elses child from the fate of his son.


For my earlier post, go here. For the latest post, go here.

Update: Feb 13

The FHP continues to ask possible witnesses to the events preceeding the accident, to step forward. Several have in the past weeks and those leads are being followed up on in an effort to get a much more complete report of that night.

The Star-Banner has learned that Joshua Ammirato had planned in the hours before the accident, to join other BMW M5 drivers at an un-named airstrip in South Florida for a future high-speed run. He responded with the comment of being "in" for it in an online post to an M5 message board, after reading posts from other members planning it.

Witnesses have stated that they saw two sets of headlights on the runway that night as well, suggesting that others had witnessed the accident but left before the police arrived. George Borger stated that he had heard cars running up and down the runway and the noise had woken him up. He added that he had also saw them on the runway, two cars at least, going very fast on it. His statement is consistant with the statement of another anonymous witness who stated that they had seen two sets of headlights at the south end of the runway and skid marks in the grass at the southend afterwards.

Ron Zupanic, 46 and an employee of John Travolta, stated that he had seen the firetrucks responding at about 3:45 am Jan 26 and followed them down to the accident site. Later that morning he found the remains of what he believes was a party held that night. He states that he found alcoholic beverage bottles scattered around the Jumbolair's clubhouse/reception area and pool area and others thrown in the trash cans on the south end of the runway.

Two other people who had access to the pool are but wish to remain anonymous, stated that they also saw the bottles and one had taken pics of them bagged as evidence by the FHD and sent those pictures to the Star-Banner. Jeremy Thayer, one of Jumbolair's owners stated that he didn't know of any party held on the property and added that it has always been a hotbed of rumors. He added that he only knows that the five had gained access to the airstrip somehow. The FHP would make no comment as to whether they had in fact bagged bottles as evidence, citing their obligation to protect an ongoing investigation.

Don't worry, be happy......

There seem to be some times when taking on the "island motto" could do more than give you a chuckle during the day. It might very well keep you from being arrested.

On January 24 2008, Waterbury resident Arthur Rivet Jr, 30, had a bit of difficulty on Interstate 84 in Hartford CT. He felt that a trucker sharing the road with him evidently slighted him in some significant way. Rivet reportedly wouldn't allow the truck to pass him and then slowed his vehicle down so that he could throw bottles at the trucker.

There are some who would think that Rivet could have just chosen to calm down, put on some soothing music and took a few hits off his favorite weed and it all would have just drifted on by him. Rivet himself may now think that it would have been a good choice as well, since it seems that he wouldn't have had to go too far for the pot.

Police found a half pound of marijuana in his car when they pulled him over after the incident. He has been charged with possession along with several other charges. And to think......... he could have just sat the day out in a purple haze and avioded all the drama.

Don't be a victim......

"We don't want you to become a victim of your own device," it
stated.

Homework for some students at Kent University School of Architecture in southeast England became more than a bit uncomfortable recently. Their assignment was supposedly an attempt to sensitize them to the principals of ergonomics, the science of reducing fatigue and discomfort.

A copy of the assignment - entitled "Torture, was carried on the Website for The Architect's Journal. It showed a diagram of a Gestapo electric torture and invited the students to "look on the dark side of ergonomics." It went on to describe how the proposals have to be realizable in 2008 and not be something based in Sci-Fi imagination. They must also be built for the purpose, robust, well thought out and effective.

It added that they should try and use recycled materials and avoid using electicity, lest the builder face the risk of becoming a vicitm of their own creation. The assignment was written by Kent University tutor Mike Richards and only one former president, Paul Hyatt had commented on it so far. He stated that he was appalled by the topic that was assigned.

I am still trying to understand how creating a torture device, so long after the Medevial practitioners had invented some of the most creative and effective devices, teaches someone how to avoid discomfort. My submission might be a simple one........ the IRS tax forms......... pure torture to understand.

It was a drive-thru?

Tanya Coccia recently discovered that driving near a beef farm in the Boston MA area can lead to strange things. The aftermath of her drive-thru encounter was even stranger though.

It seems that two of the cattle had wandered loose from the nearby farm and gotten onto the road. That is where Tanya and her 14 year-old daughter "encountered" them with her car.

"It was alive and kicking and trying to right itself," stated
Coccia.

When emergency crews arrived they found that they had to euthanize one of the cows but the second wasn't seriously injured. It had landed in the back seat of Coccia's car after it crashed through the rear window. To make the return to the farm a bit easier for all involved...... they towed her car, with the cow still in it, back to the farm.

I would guess then, that when they state, drive on up and get you quarter pounder, they don't usually mean the whole burger, on the hoof.

Just not right.....

In Hamilton NJ, a civilian State Police employee has been accused of having a bad habit. That habit has led to his arrest on Wednesday of this week.

Wednesday morning, a custodian at the Grace St Paul Episcopal Church discovered one of the members doing a bit of after hours and misdirected worshiping. Evidently, Thomas G Findler had been sneaking into the church at night for the previous three weeks. The custodian chased him out of the church, stright into a nearby police officer.

Findler, who works in a local office for the state police was evidently sneaking into the church to view pornography on a nun's computer there. He has now been charged with theft and burglary after his late night "worship hours" have been discovered.

I can almost understand the need to view porn but come on......... on a nun's computer. It just seems so very wrong there.