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Fires Leave Residents Unhurt

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 27, 2008

TAMPA - Firefighters battled blazes at two locations Friday morning in Hillsborough County.

There was extensive damage in both instances, but no injuries were reported.

Tampa Fire Rescue responded at 6:12 a.m. to a fire at a public housing complex at 1236 W. Chestnut St. and saw smoke and flames coming from a second-floor apartment window.

Firefighters entered the apartment to ensure that no one was inside and brought the flames under control in about 15 minutes, fire rescue said.

Investigators said the occupant of the apartment, Marquita Sheppard, 25, had been woken by smoke.

She had fallen asleep with a candle burning, and that is what caused the fire, investigators said.

Authorities estimated damage at $25,000.

About two hours earlier, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue extinguished flames at a residence in a North Tampa mobile home park. The fire gutted the home, but the two occupants and a pet were not harmed, officials said.

The names of the occupants were not immediately available.

Dispatchers said eight fire units responded at 4:21 a.m. to the Michigan Park mobile home park, 12420 N. Florida Ave., near Fletcher Avenue. No other homes were seriously damaged, dispatchers said.

It took firefighters about 15 minutes to bring the fire under control, officials said. Investigators were trying to determine its cause. No damage estimate was available.

Bike Rider, 7, Killed By Pickup

A 7-year-old bicyclist was killed Friday afternoon when struck on a bike trail that crosses U.S. 301 north of Stacy Road, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Rohan A. Berringer of Zephyrhills was riding with two other cyclists when he rode into the path of a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup about 2:10 p.m., a highway patrol report said.

The truck was driven by George D. Thomas, 79, of Thonotosassa.

Rohan died at the scene.

The highway was closed for more than two hours. The accident remains under investigation.

Man Accused In Stabbing

A Tampa man remained jailed Friday morning after the Christmas night stabbing of another man during a melee at the suspect's apartment, jail records said.

Vicente B. Garcia, 38, of 2011 E. 143rd Ave., was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $7,500.

According to an arrest affidavit, Garcia was present about 11:25 p.m. Thursday when two men got into a fight with a friend of his.

Garcia stepped in and showed the knife in an attempt to defend his friend, authorities said.

When another man, identified as Pablo Cobilla, stepped in, he was stabbed in the lower abdomen, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies said.

Information on Cobilla's medical treatment or condition was not available.

PINELLAS

Official: Blaze Tough To Fight

An early morning fire caused heavy damage to a St. Petersburg home Friday.

Flames were shooting through the roof of the single-story home at 1835 11th St. S. when firefighters arrived about 6 a.m., said Lt. Joel Granata, deputy fire marshal.

St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue crews encountered plastic covers and burglar bars on the windows, which made the fire harder to fight, Granata said.

Also, the house was packed with paper and boxes, which fueled the flames, he said.

No one was home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported, Granata said. Neighbors told firefighters the occupant was out of town.

The cause of the blaze had not been determined. "Preliminary damage estimates are very heavy," fire Chief Gerard Chalmers said.

A staff report

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