News
TAMPA — An April 10 fight outside a Channelside nightclub led to the arrest of a University of South Florida football player Friday afternoon.
Witnesses told Tampa police that USF tight end Trent Pupello, 21, broke away briefly from a 15-person brawl outside the Hut at 514 Channelside Drive near 2:51 a.m., said Laura McElroy, a police spokeswoman.
When he came back from his 2005 GMC Denali, he ran into the fray with a gun and fired it several times in the air before randomly pistol-whipping three people, breaking one person's eye socket, and missing a fourth person, McElroy said.
He is charged three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm in public.
If there is any truth to the charges, Pupello's football career may be over, team officials said.
After an extensive investigation, officers went to Pupello's home at 601 S Dale Mabry Highway to arrest him April 23 but he was not in. They left a card and were contacted the next day by his attorney, who arranged for him to turn himself in, McElroy said.
Coach Jim Leavitt said this spring that Pupello would take a year off from football, and would not be on scholarship this fall, but could return for in 2010. He was listed on a 2009 football roster published by USF Thursday night.
Leavitt told reporters via e-mail Friday: "We have not been involved with Trent Pupello since the beginning of the semester. He was not going to play for us in 2009 because of an injury and academic issues.
"I am just learning of the situation. However if the charges were true, we would never allow anyone that is involved in behavior of that nature to be a part of the USF football program."
Pupello was released from county jail Friday afternoon on $25,000 bail. He identified himself to police as working at the Tahitian Inn, which his father, Joe Pupello, owns.
Robbyn Mitchell can be reached at rmitchell@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3373.
Click here to post a comment
