Pasco's Ridgewood shooter arrested on drug charges

NEW PORT RICHEY

Ridgewood shooter faces drug charges

Steven Moschella, the young man who made headlines in 2000 after accidentally shooting and killing his best friend in the Ridgewood High School parking lot, was arrested Friday after police say they found drugs in his car.

New Port Richey police pulled over Moschella, 26, about 9 a.m. on Main Street near Jefferson Street on a driver's license violation, the report said.

A search of his 2008 silver Dodge Charger revealed a piece of crack cocaine inside a cigarette pack, as well as a bottle containing 21 pills of the muscle relaxant Carisoprodol, the police report said.

He told the officer he knew the cocaine was in the car, but said it wasn't his.

Moschella, of 3148 Chalon St., was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and knowingly driving on a suspended license. He was being held at the Land O'Lakes jail on $7,000 bail.

TRINITY

Rumored disturbance raises school security

Text messages circulated before classes began Friday that Seven Springs Middle School might see a disturbance during the day.

Principal David Salerno took the concern seriously. So he had extra Pasco County sheriff's deputies on hand for heightened supervision.

"We wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly," Salerno said. "It did."

Separate from word that an outbreak might occur, one student reported another might have a knife in his backpack. A search revealed he did not.

After school, Salerno sent out a recorded phone message to parents alerting them of the situation, so they would be aware that the school had no problems but that extra officers were on campus.