ST. PETERSBURG
Suspect dead,
2 injured in home invasion, shooting
Three people forced their way into a St. Petersburg house before dawn Sunday before gunfire broke out, killing a suspect and injuring two residents, police said.
About 5:30 a.m., the people arrived at a house in Childs Park, on the 4100 block of 11th Avenue S, and forced their way inside, according to St. Petersburg Police Department spokeswoman Yolanda Fernandez.
Three adult brothers live at the house, she said.
Someone started shooting. One of the suspects, 35-year-old Cory D. McClendon, died. Two residents — Ackeem Marks, 25, and Shaevaughn Marks, 20, were also hit but are in stable condition, police said. Ackeem Marks was critically injured, and his brother Shaevaughn's injuries were not life threatening, according to police.
In 2003, McClendon was arrested in the shooting death of a man in what police then called a fight over a drug deal. He pleaded no contest to a charge of manslaughter and served more than 10 years in prison. He was arrested again in February on felony MDMA, crack cocaine and marijuana charges and was scheduled to appear in court Monday for a plea change.
Shell casings were visible on the street outside Sunday morning.
The other two suspects are at large, and police did not give a description of them. Fernandez said the department does not believe the shooting was random or that there is a ongoing threat to public safety.
ST. PETERSBURG
Sleeping driver hits, kills morocyclist
A 22-year-old driver fell asleep at the wheel after drinking and ran a red light, hitting and killing a motorcyclist Saturday night, police said.
Just before midnight, Michael P. Majchrowski, 48, was riding a 2016 BMW motorcycle eastbound on Gandy Boulevard towards 4th Street N. As he approached the intersection, the light turned green, and he continued across the street. Majchrowski was wearing a helmet, according to a St. Petersburg Police Department release.
At the same time, Dylan Charles Baron, 22, was driving a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze compact car southbound on 4th Street N. Baron had been drinking alcohol beforehand, according to the agency.
He fell asleep at the wheel, and ran the red light, police reported.
Baron's car collided with the motorcycle, killing Majchrowski, according to police. The agency is still investigating and charges are pending.
Stay with tampabay.com for updates.
NEW PORT RICHEY
Head-on crash kills teenager, injures 3
A 19-year-old driver died in a three-car crash on Moon Lake Road on Saturday afternoon, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.
Jillian Faith Hitt, 19 and of New Port Richey, was driving north on the road in a 2008 Hyundai Accent, wearing her seatbelt.
At the same time, a GMC Sierra pickup truck was stopped in the southbound lane at the intersection of Oconee Boulevard.
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Explore all your optionsKerissa Ramson, 25, was in the truck with a one-year-old girl, Madilyn Smith. Ramson was waiting for Hitt to pass through the intersection before she turned left.
A third vehicle, a Ford F-150 driven by Raven Brooklyn Jolliff, 23, was also headed southbound on the road.
Jolliff didn't see that Ramson's truck was stopped on the road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
As she got closer, Jolliff noticed the truck and tried to swerve to the left, troopers reported. Her F-150 struck the rear left of Ramson's truck and then crossed into the path of Hitt's car, according to the report.
The vehicles collided head-on. Hitt died from her injuries at Bayonet Point Hospital. Jolliff and her passenger, 4-year-old Anthoney Lippi, suffered minor injuries, as did Smith, the baby in Ramson's truck. The three were all treated at Bayonet Point.
Charges are pending, according to the FHP.
TALLAHASSEE
State CFO pays for government car use
Florida's chief financial officer reimbursed the state for using a state-owned SUV but only after he was questioned about it.
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis paid more than $4,000 in May for using a state-owned Chevrolet Tahoe. Spokesman Jon Moore said Patronis stopped using the Tahoe in November, but made the reimbursement months later out of an "abundance of caution.
This payment, however, came right after a reporter asked Patronis about state vehicle use.
Politico reported Patronis' payment on Friday.
While using the Tahoe in October, Patronis had an accident in Tallahassee and received a ticket. Patronis was traveling to his political consultant's office to pick up thank-you cards.
Moore said Patronis paid for the repairs.
SANTA ROSA BEACH
New law reignites
beach access fight
A new Florida law is set to reignite a fight over beach access in a Florida Panhandle county known for its pristine white sand.
Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson says the law that takes effect July 1 will void a local ordinance that allows public access to sand that's owned by beachfront property owners. If unwelcome beachgoers refuse to leave, they'll be arrested for trespassing.
The law sets up a process that allows local governments to pass ordinances that allow public access to the sandy part of beaches even if they're privately owned if it can be shown that the public has been using them for years.
Walton County is the only place in Florida that will see a change in current rights to use the beach.
Times staff and wires