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Channel 13's Rhodes Apologizes On Air

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 19, 2009

Russell Rhodes, a morning anchor for WTVT, Channel 13, issued an apology Wednesday during his return to the airwaves.

Rhodes was arrested in January and charged with obstructing or opposing an officer without violence after trying to run from an off-duty deputy in the Channelside Parking Garage, Hillsborough County deputies say.

Rhodes "was attempting to reverse his vehicle into other traffic after passing the exit token machine," according to a criminal report affidavit.

The deputy stopped Rhodes' car. Rhodes got out, and his pants and belt were undone, sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

Rhodes appeared to be intoxicated, twice walked away and refused to surrender the key, "requiring the deputy to take Rhodes to the ground to be handcuffed," Callaway said.

After being handcuffed, Rhodes apologized, according to the affidavit.

Rhodes told the deputy he panicked "because he works for Fox 13 news," according to the affidavit.

He was taken by ambulance to Tampa General Hospital's emergency room to be treated for a laceration to his lip and a contusion on his left cheek, Callaway said.

A status conference in Rhodes' criminal case scheduled for Wednesday was continued at the request of his attorney, Jeffrey Brown. A new date was not set.

WTVT is owned by the Fox Broadcasting Corp., a division of News Corp.

Bystander's Slaying Now Capital Case

TAMPA - Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the man accused of sparking a manhunt in Plant City in December.

Prosecutors filed notice Wednesday that they will seek a death sentence for Francisco Rangel, 25, who has pleaded not guilty to 14 felony charges in the case.
Pam Bondi of the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office said it would be improper to comment on a pending case.

On Dec. 5, Rangel was being sought on murder and attempted murder charges stemming from a shooting the day before that left one man dead and another injured.

During the manhunt, Rangel fired at least 17 shots from an AK-47 assault rifle at detectives, authorities said.

One of the bullets struck and killed a bystander, Candelario Lagunes, 58, authorities said.

Home Invader Poses As Exterminator

A man posing as a pest control employee has been targeting elderly women and stealing their jewelry.

Deputies haven't named a suspect, but they are circulating a rendering of the man, who is said to be Hispanic and in his late 20s. Deputies say he weighs about 160 pounds, has a medium build, dark hair, dark complexion, is 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 9 inches tall, and might have a mustache.

Most of the victims are 80 or older, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. From Feb. 3 through Monday, there have been four such home invasions in Hillsborough County, including three in the Sun City area. Each time, the man entered the women's home and began spraying an unknown substance.

He took rings from an 83-year-old Sun City woman and a diamond bracelet from a 72-year-old Sun City woman, Carter said.

"The suspect tells the victims that he is there to spray for bugs and acts like the treatment was scheduled with the victim," a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office news release states. "In every case the suspect has sprayed the victim on the arm or hand and immediately rushed them to the sink and told the victim that they need to wash the chemical off immediately and remove their jewelry."

The man then takes the jewelry and leaves.

Hillsborough deputies think the victims were followed to their homes from a shopping center or stores.

The man was wearing a hat, a light flannel shirt, black cloth gloves and jeans. He was driving a small tan four-door vehicle similar to a Saturn.

Anyone with information is asked to call deputies at (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477.

A staff report

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