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7 Rescued As Duplex Burns

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By DAVE NICHOLSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 14, 2008

CLEARWATER - A police officer who helped rescue seven people, including a baby, from a burning duplex Saturday morning described a scene of smoke, flames and cries for help.

Officer Nick Giordano said he and three other Clearwater police officers found part of the duplex on Jupiter Avenue in flames and people screaming inside about 4:25 a.m.

He smashed a window on one side of the duplex, and he and Officer Doug Bailey pulled five people to safety, starting with a baby. Giordano, a full-time officer for two years, said he took 9-month-old Evelin Martinez-Dothe to his patrol car while the others were rescued.

Officers Chris Lyons and Dave Marshall went to the other side of the duplex, kicked in a door, and helped a woman and her 11-year-old daughter outside.

No one was injured, and the fire at 220 and 222 N. Jupiter Ave. was quickly put out.

"If it was not for these police officers, we would have been taking a lot of people to the hospital," Operations Chief Richard Riley said in a statement.

None of the officers was injured in the rescue.

The officers noticed the fire at 220 N. Jupiter while they were on patrol and the fire was contained to that unit. The unit at 222 N. Jupiter had smoke damage. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Those rescued from 220 N. Jupiter included: the baby, Evelin Martinez-Dothe; Luis Antonio Godho-Dothe, 21; Maria Estela Dothe-Pena, 24; Patricio Dothe-Pena, 20; and Armando Noel Martinez, 19.

The occupants of 222 N. Jupiter included Heather D. Mount, 32, and her 11-year-old daughter Bianca.

Reporter Dave Nicholson can be reached at (813) 865-4432 or dnicholson@tampatrib.com.

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