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Fundraisers Planned To Assist Victims Of Apollo Beach Attack

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 20, 2008

Updated: 08/20/2008 02:12 pm

One Of The Suspects

Another Image Of The Same Suspect

APOLLO BEACH - Restaurant owner Shawn Haverfield is organizing fundraisers to help two of his employees gain "some sense of normalcy" after they said they were attacked at work Saturday by three men.

The women, ages 31 and 24, were closing The Docks, 6520 N. U.S. 41, about 3:30 a.m., when one was approached by three men, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. She and another woman said they were then robbed, abducted and sexually assaulted by the men.

The robbery included their money and credit cards and a pickup from one of the women, Haverfield said.

The pickup was burned, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

The women have been unable to work since the incident, so he is trying to help. The restaurant has been handing out fliers about the fundraisers that state: "The last thing we would like for them to worry about at a time like this is finances. Every little bit helps get these two back on track to some sense of normalcy."

Some of the restaurant's sales from Friday, Saturday and Aug. 29 will be given to the women. The restaurant is also accepting donations and is in the process of setting up an account with Colonial Bank. Also, three bands are donating time to help: Silvertongue will perform at the restaurant at 9 p.m. Friday; an open jam session featuring Lester Freeman and "D" Band will begin at 9 p.m. Saturday; and the Crossroads Blues Band plays at 9 p.m. Aug. 29.

Haverfield said the restaurant already has received $1,500 to $2,000 and isn't sure how much more will be donated.

"They've always got a job here," he said.

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrests of the three men.

St. Petersburg and Hillsborough County authorities are looking into whether the assailants are connected to an attack Aug. 3 at a St. Petersburg restaurant.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said deputies are looking into whether the cases have similarities.

St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa said the cases are similar but that officers don't know whether there is a connection. Both incidents occurred early in the morning at a restaurant and involved three Hispanic males, he said.

In the Apollo Beach incident, the first victim was robbed and forced back into the business, which also was robbed, authorities said. Then the women, whose names were not released because they are victims of sex crimes, were taken in one of the victim's vehicles to a remote location off Dickman Road, authorities said.

The women told detectives they were sexually assaulted by the men. The women were then driven to a Bank of America ATM in Apollo Beach, where one of the men used the 24-year-old woman's bank card, detectives said.

A surveillance camera at the ATM recorded an image of the man, described as Hispanic, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, between 160 and 180 pounds with a medium build, black hair, light mustache and a stubble beard. The man is in his 20s and was last seen wearing a blue plaid shirt, blue baseball cap and work gloves. He was armed with a handgun.

After leaving the bank, one of the men got out of the pickup at an unknown location. The other two men then drove to a Chevron gas station, where one of them went into the store.

When the men left the store, the women were taken to an unknown location, where one was sexually assaulted a second time, the sheriff's office said. The women were then driven to mile marker No. 234 on Interstate 75 in Manatee County.

The women were forced out of the vehicle, and the men drove away. The women walked to an emergency call box to report the incident to authorities. They were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated and released.

The other two attackers are described as Hispanic men in their 20s with thin builds. Both had handguns, detectives said.

In the St. Petersburg incident, three masked, armed men robbed the restaurant as employees were cleaning up - and one of the men sexually assaulted one of the employees, police said. The men entered the Table restaurant, 535 Central Ave., about 3 a.m. through a back door, St. Petersburg police spokesman Bill Proffitt said at the time.

They took an undisclosed amount of cash, Proffitt said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477, go to www.crimestoppers.com or send a text message to 274637, Keyword: TIP155.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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