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Zorro Captured, Police Say

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 12, 2009

TAMPA - Zorro the Bandit's crime spree is over, St. Petersburg police say.

Fingerprints from a bag of candy he left behind during a robbery were the keys to catching him, police said.

His real name is George N. Shaw, 50, of 11321 N. 50th St. in Tampa, police said, but he had a penchant for wearing clothing reminiscent of the famed Spanish swordsman during eight heists.

Shaw was arrested near his home Wednesday afternoon by Tampa police. He was questioned by detectives from St. Petersburg, Tampa and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers helped St. Petersburg police identify Shaw, spokesman Bill Proffitt said in a written statement. Shaw's fingerprints were on a bag of m&m's he left on the counter during a Jan. 29 robbery of a CVS drugstore at 3426 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg, Proffitt said.

The bandit was given the Zorro nickname by investigators because he wore a black bandana on his head and black fedora in eight armed robberies from Jan. 26 to Feb. 7.

In each case, the robber made a small purchase and then, armed with a small silver handgun, demanded money from a clerk, Proffitt said. No one has been injured.
Pro Golfer Charged
Professional golfer Jim Thorpe is facing federal tax evasion charges, accused of failing to pay about $1.6 million owed to the federal government over three years.

Thorpe, 59, of Heathrow, faces four counts of failing to file an income tax return and three counts of failing to pay income taxes, charges that carry up to seven years in federal prison and a fine of up to $3.2 million.

The charges, filed in Orlando, cover the years 2002-04.

Thorpe's attorney, Mark Horwitz, said his client plans to plead not guilty.

"We look forward to having a trial," Horwitz said Wednesday. "We don't think he's willfully violated the law. That's not to say he doesn't owe the tax, but we don't think he's guilty of a crime."

Instead of paying his taxes, Thorpe spent money on purchases such as a $2 million home and a $61,000 vehicle, according to the charges announced Wednesday.

Arrest In Buttocks Case

A woman sought on an arrest warrant in a case of cosmetic enhancements to the buttocks gone wrong turned herself in on Wednesday morning at Orient Road Jail, authorities said.

Sharhonda Lindsay, 32, of Thonotosassa, is charged with two felony counts of practicing medicine without a license. She has been released on $5,000 bail, jail records show.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, two women suffered internal injuries after Lindsay injected their buttocks with a silicone substance called hydrogel and a saline solution for "cosmetic enhancements."

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said she could not describe the extent of their injuries because of federal health-privacy laws, but she said the women were treated at Town & Country Hospital.

A staff and wire report

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